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A beer belly or beer gut is a physical human trait characterised by a horizontal overhang of fat above the waist, with little apparent fat on the rest of the body. Although it is not solely caused by the consumption of beer, it is a contributing factor. The beer belly is usually associated with men (women tend to store excess fat in other areas such as the hips and buttocks). A lack of muscle tone in the abdominal muscles contributes to the appearance of the beer belly, with the overhang often increasing with age. Image File history File links Stop_hand. ... Fat is one of the three main classes of food and, at approximately 38 kJ (9 kilocalories) per gram, as compared to sugar with 17 kJ (4 kcal) per gram or ethanol with 29 kJ (7 kcal) per gram, the most concentrated form of metabolic energy available to humans. ... The waist is the part of the abdomen between the ribcage and hips. ... Human anatomy or anthropotomy is a special field within anatomy. ... A mug of lager beer, showing the golden colour of the beer and the foamy head floating on top. ... Bones of the hip In anatomy, the hip is the bony projection of the femur, known as the greater trochanter, and the overlying muscle and fat. ... African female (upper left), Chinese female (lower left), European male (upper right), Indian male (lower right). ... Muscle tone is the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles. ... The abdomen (from the Latin word meaning belly) is the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax. ... A top-down view of skeletal muscle Muscle is a contractile form of tissue. ...

The primary energy-bearing constitutents of beer are alcohol and carbohydrates; beer has no fat and very little protein content. Light beers and low-alcohol beers carry less food energy than other beers [1]. Even heavier beers carry less energy per glass than, e.g., sugared cola drinks, and one study has shown that non-drinkers adding a single serving of alcohol to their diet daily does not contribute to weight gain. However, some beer drinkers consume high-calorie junk food—such as potato chips—alongside beer, while others simply drink inordinate amounts of beer. For instance, a 40 U.S. fluid ounce (1.2 liter) bottle of MGD, which might be consumed as a single serving by a heavy drinker, contains about 485 calories (2,030 kilojoules). This article has been identified as possibly containing errors. ... Carbohydrates (literally hydrates of carbon) are chemical compounds that act as the primary biological means of storing or consuming energy, other forms being fat and protein. ... Food energy is the amount of energy in food. ... Several different brands of cola. ... Junk food is a derogatory term, used for any food that is perceived to be unhealthy and has low or poor nutritional value. ... Chips from Russet baking potatoes, a variety high in sugar. ... Miller Brewing is a large American beermaker based in Milwaukee. ...

There is a widespread myth that "beer bellies" are the result of a fatty or enlarged liver. While excessive consumption of any alcohol can lead to fatty liver or even irreversible liver damage, this does not cause the fatty paunch associated with a beer belly. While being obese or overweight has its own health risks, neither is indicative of damage to the liver. Fatty liver or steatosis hepatis is a reversible condition seen in chronic alcoholism and many other conditions, where large vacuoles of lipid accumulate in hepatocytes (the cells of the liver). ... Cirrhosis is a chronic disease of the liver in which liver tissue is replaced by connective tissue, resulting in the loss of liver function. ...

See also

• obesity
• central obesity
• weight loss

Central obesity (or apple-shaped or masculine obesity) occurs when the main deposits of body fat are localised around the abdomen and the upper body. ... In the context of physical health, weight loss is the process of losing body weight, typically by losing fat. ...

External links

• Why the beer belly may be a myth