As someone who thoroughly enjoys beer, I have avoided seeking the truth about whether or not drinking beer can expand my waistline. As one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to improve my overall health, I have decided to delve further.
An alcohol expert at the State University of New York at Potsdam says: “There is every reason to believe people who drink alcohol will gain weight, but they don’t.” The experts who mapped the habits of huge numbers of drinkers found that those who drank moderately actually added fewer pounds over time than those who never enjoyed a beer.
THE BMI (BODY MASS INDEX): For the soon-to-be-middle-aged woman who feels her destiny is the dreaded Middle Age Spread, there is particularly good news. The results of a 10-year study started in 1997 were released recently, and we need to celebrate! BMI is a gauge of the body’s fat, calculated by weight and height. The study found that, for instance, subjects 5’4″ tall who did not have beer as a component in their diet added an average of 1.4 to their BMI over a 10-year period, calculating to a weight gain of 8 pounds. A woman of that same stature who drank one serving of beer (or wine) as a part of her daily diet actually lost 0.4 points from her BMI, calculating to a 2-pound loss.
THE BB (BEER BELLY): With test participants numbering nearly 46,000, the survey results revealed that the biggest factor seemed to lie in the pattern of drinking and eating. Both genders fared far better when they enjoyed one beer every day with dinner than those who only drank one or two days a week, but over-indulged. (Your favorite Beer of the Month Club thinks part of this is because, after several drinks, we are less inhibited, less likely to make wise dietary decisions.)
The truth? Your personal Beer Belly depends on your personal choices — for both beer and food. Great news! Experts say beer definitely can be a part of my healthy diet!
