Folk wisdom has it that beer causes the familiar rounded beer belly. Forget it: new research shows that the quantity of beer has no effect on the drinker’s waistline. Although beer is not exactly a diet aid, the findings of Dr. Marin Bobak from University College London suggest that heavy beer-drinkers are no more likely to have bulging attributes than non-beer-drinkers.

The study, conducted in the Czech Republic, a beer country of ever there was one, involved 1 141 men and 1 212 women. Their alcohol consumption was recorded in questionnaires, and their weight, height, hips and waist were measured. Typical beer-drinkers consumed between 1 and more than 7 litres of beer per week.

The researchers found, after excluding the influence of factors such as physical activity and education, that heavy drinkers showed no more bellies or were any more overweight than persons who drank less beer or no beer at all. However, heavy drinkers who do not smoke tend to gain more weight than do smokers with similar drinking habits.

This remarkable result may be explained by the fact that smokers often weigh less than non-smokers, so smokers will gain weight less rapidly through the drinking of beer. Studies on beer-drinking in the Czech Republic have advantages: beer is a very popular drink there for men and women and accompanies every meal. Beer has no social stigma in this country, says. “Beer drinking is less confused with other factors in this population than in other countries”.

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