Where Does a Beer Gut Come From?

Calories are Calories, and Alcohol has its Share of Empty Ones

Jul 16, 2008 Stephen Allen Christensen

Exercise is key to weight loss, but relaxation is critical to a healthy life, too. Unfortunately, many of us use alcohol to unwind, and that can be our undoing.

We’re all familiar with the physical attribute called “beer gut.” Over the years, we’ve probably watched formerly athletic friends acquire one. In certain social circles, that protuberant belly is a badge of honor, worn with pride and viewed with respect. For those who want to drink their beer without getting the bulge, however, it pays to learn a little about the connection between alcohol and adiposity.

First, there is nothing magical about how extra calories contribute to weight gain. Every pound of fat contains 3500 calories. If we ingest more calories than we burn, our bodies store the excess as fat. Most often, those extra pounds get deposited around our abdomens and thighs. Humans are just wired that way.

Now, a 12-ounce serving of beer contains roughly 150 calories (it varies depending on the brand). All else being equal, just one beer every evening adds over 1000 calories to the equation each week. In less than a month, an unwanted pound has materialized! And so-called light beers aren’t much help; a 12-ounce serving still contains 100 calories or more.

In an attempt to avoid gaining weight, some drinkers employ the strategy of substitution: on the days when they imbibe, they subtract food from their menus and replace those calories with alcohol. Aside from the obvious nutritional downside of such a practice, it doesn’t really work. Alcohol exhibits some unique and inconvenient physiologic properties that can thwart even the most conscientious calorie counter:

1. Alcohol is converted to acetate in the liver. Once released into the bloodstream, this metabolite replaces fat as a fuel, so our bodies use the acetate instead of burning fat stores.
2. While alcohol consumption may slightly increase one’s metabolic rate—leading to more total calories burned—the calories that are burned are drawn from protein sources (muscle). So, even if drinkers maintain their body weight, they may actually lose muscle mass while gaining fat.
3. Alcohol interferes with the liver’s ability to break down glycogen stores. This leads to a drop in blood sugar, which triggers the hunger reflex. In many settings where alcohol is consumed, the foods available to deal with those hunger pangs tend to be high in calories.
4. Alcohol impairs a drinker’s judgment, often leading to the consumption of more calories than usual (typically in the form of high-calorie, low-nutrient-density snacks). And, once a beer or two has been consumed, it isn’t unusual for people to switch to mixed drinks, some of which pack a whopping 800 calories or more.

Without a bit of restraint and moderation, anyone who drinks alcohol is prone to weight gain; no one is immune. If you're wondering how much you can get away with at that next party, one reasonable rule of thumb might be this: if you don’t think you’ll be able to roll out of bed in the morning and head for the gym, you’re probably drinking too much.

The copyright of the article Where Does a Beer Gut Come From? in Weight Loss is owned by Stephen Allen Christensen. Permission to republish Where Does a Beer Gut Come From? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Belly Up!

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Dec 26, 2008 10:01 AM

Guest :

Not entirly true. Excercise is the key to weight loss and eating sensibly. I am not saying alcohol is healthy to over consume, but I myself drink aprox a 12 pack of light beer a day. I also excersise 1 to two times a day and watch what I et cloly to off set this bad habit. Result: I lost 65 pounds this year alone, for a grand total of 72 pounds. All this while drinking alcohol on a dailey basis. (and I have a desk job to boot). Don't eat carbs after drinking, it turns to fat. Eat lean meat because it takes a very long time to burn it. And it assists your liver. Studies show people that drink alcohol and consume carbs destroy thier liver at an alarming rate compared to those that eat protein afterwords.

Dec 27, 2008 7:35 AM

Stephen Allen Christensen :

You said it. Exercise is the key to weight loss, as is eating sensibly...but drinking a 12-pack of beer (no matter what brand) doesn't qualify as sensible eating. I agree with you: that level of alcohol consumption is a bad habit. Working out once or twice daily may unload the extra 1200 calories (avg 100 cal per light beer), but your liver is working overtime to deal with the excess alcohol. Unfortunately, no dietary modification will offer ultimate protection from that.

Apr 14, 2009 7:06 PM

Guest :

Not entirly true, as well. Studies have shown that a man can survive on beer for 6-8 weeks (only beer). The alcohol does eat away at the muscle, AND fat. But is not recommended and is very dangerous. The first 3 weeks will be where you lose the most weight on beer alone, after those 3 weeks if water is not consume with beer dehydration will kill you.

Jun 2, 2009 1:44 PM

Guest :

The comment that lite beer doesn't do much better exposes a huge inarguable bias. 150 calories vs 100 calories? That's a 33% downgrade in calories. That IS significant. You just don't want people drinking! lol

Anyone prone to drinking alcohol is prone to weight gain... that's because it does have calories. Anyone prone to drinking milk is prone to weight gain. Come on!

Let's be real here... it's EASY to pile up the calories with beer, even if it is light, but light is a better choice if you're taking down 8 beers a day (400 calorie savings). With that said, beer, light or not, is a hidden way of gaining calories quickly. But if you do count calories (even drunk, a moron can count calories), you just have to take it into consideration, and to make sure your other dietary escapades are healthy and metabolism enhancing.

Jun 2, 2009 3:35 PM

Stephen Allen Christensen :

"A huge inarguable bias"...I just love hyperbole.
I usually have a beer every night, so if I'm biased toward teetotaling, said bias must not apply to me. That would be hypocritical of me, wouldn't it? Perhaps I'm just trying to make sure no one else drinks beer, so there'll be plenty for me!
I also must take exception to the statement that "even drunk, a moron can count calories." If intelligent people can (and do) drive through stop lights when they're drunk, why would one expect people of limited intelligence to count calories when they probably can't even recall how many beers they've consumed?

This is the point I was trying to make, and I thank you for helping me to make it: If you're trying to save calories, drinking light beer is tantamount to ordering a diet soda to go along with an 800-calorie burger-and-fries meal. The calorie content of different beers varies sufficiently that drinking light beer just to avoid the extra 20, or 30, or even 50 calories per bottle is probably a waste of time (after all, at 50 calories less per bottle, you'd have to drink 70 bottles of light beer to claim that you'd avoided a single pound of weight gain...even when I was at the height of my college career, it took me a while to go through a dozen six-packs). So eliminate those calories somewhere else, drink responsibly (eight beers daily isn't responsible, by the way, especially if one plans to participate in other healthy and metabolism-enhancing escapades) and enjoy it!

Jun 23, 2009 7:46 PM

Guest :

that is an interesting article, I had a lot of belly fat and a medium sixed beer gut,,, it took 3 years of hard work to get rid of it.. i only drink once a week (10 or so beers) and i work out 5 days a week pushups (80) and situps (80) and 40 minutes of riding hard on a spin bike. I think its okay to indulge once a week. but the food i eat after drinking is amazing how much i eat. i never thought i could get myself in shape again but im very proud.... i was drinking everyday and getting fatter and fatter, i couldnt play sports without hurting my knees... its all about self discipline,, but i still enjoy my beer and bbq once a week.

Sep 24, 2009 2:16 PM

Guest :

It is true. I began having a few drinks a day after years of no drinking at all. I began putting on 4 to 5 pounds every 3 months. After 9 months had passes I realized that I couldnt fit into my jeans any more! I totally contribute the weight gain to alcohol. I had never experience such steady weight gain ever before. So I dramatically cut back on the alcohol, and have maintained my weight sice then. It is going to take extra exercise to get rid of the extra belly fat I aquired thus far...but I'm glad I realized what was happening to my body before it was too late!!

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