Round, protruding bellies are a bugbear for millions of men, while women bemoan their love handles and tummies. Even those who don’t have this problem fear the day when their metabolism catches up with them and they will no longer be able to drink wine, guzzle beer and indulge in salty snacks without their tummy expanding. But not all belly fat is created equal.
New research published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, using data from the database UK Biobank, suggests it is more harmful to be a man who is overweight than a woman who is carrying extra pounds. Researchers looked at 34,000 adults between the ages of 45 and 82 who had obesity, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes – all risk factors for dementia. They found that while overweight women were most susceptible to brain volume and function decline between 65 and 74, overweight men started to see a decline 10 years earlier, between 55 and 74.
Here, our experts explain why beer bellies are more common in men, the differences in the risks posed and, crucially, what men need to do differently to get rid of it.
Why beer bellies are more common in men than women
The term “beer belly” isn’t a medical one and simply refers to excess fat stored around the stomach area, also known as an apple body shape, explains Professor Akheel Syed, a consultant physician in obesity, diabetes and endocrinology at Salford Royal Hospital.
Keep up with the latest in lifestyle and entertainment
Get the latest lifestyle & entertainment headlines straight to your inbox.
Simply, it’s a result of consuming too many calories over time, whether or not beer has contributed. However, there’s no doubt that beer is fattening and can contribute to weight gain and, therefore, the development of a beer belly.
A pint of lager typically contains around 180 calories (equivalent to a slice of pizza), and the behaviours that often accompany drinking beer – sitting down and tucking into snacks – can mean a few drinks spirals into hoovering down an excessive number of calories.
While women can develop a beer belly, men are more at risk because they have higher levels of androgen hormones, which predisposes them to store excess fat around the middle of the body, rather than in other areas, explains Syed.
Women, meanwhile, have higher levels of oestrogen, which causes them to store fat in the lower body. “So men tend to have the apple distribution and women tend to have the pear distribution,” Prof Syed adds. However, hormonal changes that occur during the menopause can leave women more vulnerable to a build-up of fat in the belly.
Men are more likely to store fat around the stomach due to higher levels of androgen hormones, unlike women’s “pear-shaped” fat distribution. Photo / 123rf
The health risks of beer bellies for men
1. Type 2 diabetes
The body first stores excess calories as subcutaneous fat – the type that sits just under the skin and can be grabbed – which it burns for energy as needed. However, only so much fat can be stored under the skin, meaning that visceral fat – stored deep within the belly, around the organs – builds up if too many calories are consumed over time.
Having lots of visceral fat means that the liver and pancreas are surrounded by fat. “This predisposes you to insulin resistance,” Syed explains.
“Even though you may be producing insulin in adequate amounts, that insulin is not being quite as efficient as it should be, which causes your blood sugar levels to rise and, eventually, that tips over into Type 2 diabetes,” he says.
“This puts you at risk of all of the conditions that come with Type 2 diabetes, such as hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease and strokes,” Syed explains.
Visceral fat, stored deep around organs, raises men’s risk of Type 2 diabetes more than subcutaneous fat under the skin. Photo / 123rf
2. Heart problems
Atherosclerosis – when the arteries become clogged with fatty plaques, making it difficult for blood to flow through them – can be accelerated by carrying too much tummy fat, explains Syed.
Having this condition, which is also fuelled by drinking too much alcohol, raises the risk of suffering a heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular disease, he says.
Excess fat around the waist can also increase the chance of developing high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which can also spell problems for the heart.
It follows that, as a beer belly can contribute to the arteries becoming clogged, it can also lead to vascular dementia, as clogged arteries can reduce blood flow to the brain, Syed says.
Carrying excess weight can also accelerate the brain shrinkage that naturally occurs with age, which can increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and lead to chronic inflammation, which has links to dementia.
A beer belly can also cause sleep problems, joint or back pain and low mood, as well as making it difficult to be physically active.
Belly fat is linked to vascular dementia as clogged arteries reduce blood flow to the brain. Photo / 123rf
How to get rid of a beer belly
1. Drink no more than seven pints per week
While beer, and alcohol in general, is not necessarily the cause of a beer belly, it is full of calories, so drinking too much can hinder efforts to shift a rotund belly.
Moderate your alcohol consumption and ensure you’re not exceeding 14 units per week (around seven pints of 3.6% beer or six glasses of wine), spread over three or more days with several alcohol-free days and no binging, to limit the impact of alcohol on your weight, as well as overall health, says Karen Tyrell, the chief executive of the alcohol education charity Drinkaware.
Cutting back on alcohol can also make it easier to make healthier food choices, as drinking can increase appetite and encourage poor decision-making, the charity notes.
Go for lower-calorie options, such as vodka soda or gin and slimline tonic, or order half pints rather than full pints, Syed suggests. “Simple tricks like that can be helpful,” he says.
Moderate drinking - no more than 14 units per week - helps limit belly fat and promotes better overall health. Photo / 123rf
2. Follow a balanced diet
“It’s difficult to run off a bad diet” is a well-known saying, but it’s also a fact. For most people, the food they’re eating is the main contributor to their belly fat.
Make sure to eat healthily, Syed says. “Have a balanced diet, avoiding excess fats and focusing more on adequate protein intake,” he recommends.
3. Exercise
Exercise can help with burning extra calories to support weight loss. UK advice is to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week, as well as strengthening workouts at least twice a week.
“One simple way to look at exercises is your step count,” says Prof Syed. “Aim for a minimum of 6000 per day, but preferably hit 10,000. That would be a good starting point in terms of general physical activity.” Brisk walking counts as a moderate-intensity exercise.
Bear in mind that it would take the average man 13 minutes of running or playing football, 15 minutes of cycling, 20 minutes of swimming or half an hour of playing golf to burn off one pint of lager, Tyrell says.
Brisk walking, aiming for 10,000 steps a day, is a simple way to reduce belly fat. Photo / 123rf
4. Go to your GP if you’re struggling
“Some people will need much more help than simple lifestyle and dietary changes, in which case they should be speaking to their GP for advice on more intensive weight-management support,” Syed says. “That could include medications or bariatric surgery.”
Also, a beer belly can, in rare circumstances, be down to a hormonal disorder such as Cushing’s syndrome – a condition caused by having too much of the hormone cortisol in the body. Symptoms include storing increased fat in the tummy, back of the neck and shoulders, as well as a red and puffy face. If you develop these symptoms, go to your GP, Syed says.
