The idea of a "beer gut" has maintained a threatening status for many image conscious young adults coming of age since beer has been around. Some might be surprised and relieved to know that there is, in fact, no consistent correlation between the consumption of alcohol and the circumference of our bellies.
A selection of over 1000 randomly selected Czech men and women were invited to take part in a study of the relationship between those who drink beer or other wine and spirits and the size of their stomach. Subjects were asked to fill out a series of questions about their alcohol consumption and daily habits, then their body proportions and fat ratios were measured during a brief medical exam. The results concluded that the previously conceived idea of the calorie count in beer increasing the size of one's stomach in and of itself was, in fact, false.
While initial results based on age showed positive relation in waist-hip ratio, the scientists quickly invalidated the evidence by pointing out several other factors (such as age) that played into the widening of waist lines at older or younger ages.
