In my internet travels I came across this article that claims that men who binge drink have a waist size 2.3 inches bigger than men who drink the same amount of alcohol but spread out their consumption.

British researchers found that the pattern of drinking, rather than the total amount of alcohol consumed has a greater effect on waist size. For example, drinking a bottle of wine or five pints of beer in one evening will pack on more pounds than drinking that same amount over the course of a week.

For women these findings are even more alarming, with binge drinkers having a waist four inches bigger than non-bingers. There was no considerable difference in overall body weight between the bingers and non-bingers studied, to prove that the effect was not due to the bingers being heavier in general.

So what exactly constitutes "binging?" In this study, binge drinkers were identified as consuming 10 to 12 units of alcohol – the equivalent of a bottle of wine or five pints of beer – in one sitting at least once a month.

These findings are significant, as abdominal fat is known to be more dangerous for the heart than fat carried elsewhere and it’s also linked to diabetes and heart disease.

Personally, I find this information to be important but I can’t say it’s all too shocking. As I get older, I enjoy my beer (and wine) for taste and I have no problem spreading out my weekly consumption. It’s cheaper, healthier and there’s no headache to deal with in the morning!

TAGS [ BEER BELLY | BINGE DRINKING ]