2015-02-17 08:59
No sooner had I written the words “beer belly” in my article on the use of
waist circumference
(WC) as a measure of body fatness, beer producers started vociferously
defending their noble brews – with one going as far as sending me an
article entitled “Revealed: Beer is not linked to ‘Beer Belly’!” If this
is true, then where on earth do all those large tummies come from?
Background
I
pointed out that waist circumference is a useful tool because it
identifies what type of obesity a patient suffers from. We differentiate
between two kinds of obesity that tend to form in the lower half of the
body, namely android or “apple-shaped” obesity as opposed to gynic or
“pear-shaped” obesity.
Android
fat distribution is associated with fat deposits in the abdomen.
Android fat distribution is associated with a greater risk of ill health
than pear-shaped fat distribution. Research has shown that people with
android obesity are more vulnerable to lifestyle-associated illnesses,
such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, raised blood
fats, arthritis, gout, and metabolic syndrome
.
If not beer, then what?
The
unfortunate name “beer belly” has become part and parcel of our
parlance. To counter this negative image, South African Breweries (SAB)
released their article in which they quote one of my colleagues, who
quite correctly stated, “While beer would indeed contribute to a
person’s kilojoule intake, it is often a small part of the equation.”
No
one food or beverage is totally to blame for the high levels of obesity
in Africa, and there are many high-energy foods and drinks, popular
with consumers, that could be the culprits.
The role of alcohol and other beverages
Just
like fat, which contributes 37 kJ per gram to our energy intake,
alcohol of any kind contributes 29 kJ per gram and is thus the second
highest energy item in the African diet when compared gram for gram.
However,
it is not just the energy content per gram that is important. The
volume of items such as drinks which we consume also makes a difference
when it comes to energy intake.
Beer has a lower energy content than spirits, but is consumed in larger quantities at a sitting.
Spirits:
For
example, the current edition of the SA Food Tables, lists the energy
content of spirits (brandy, whisky, cane, vodka, rum (alcohol content of
43% v/v or 36% w/w) as
1044 kJ per 100 ml.
However,
people who have a tot of spirits which in metric terms is 25 ml, will
consume 1044 x 1/4 = 261 kJ, while a double metric tot of 50 ml will
provide them with
522 kJ of energy.
Beer:
According to the current SA Food Tables, beer with an average alcohol content of 4,6% v/v or 3,6% w/w, provides
172 kJ of energy per 100 ml and stout with its higher alcohol content of 6.1% v/v or 4,7% w/w has
242 kJ/100 ml.
“So
we were correct!” I hear the beer brewers say with satisfaction. “Beer,
even stout, has a much lower alcohol and energy content that spirits
and can’t be held responsible for those large tummies!”
Volumes consumed:
But
who drinks only 100 ml of beer at a sitting? Beer is sold in various
containers in South Africa, but the most common volumes are cans of
330 ml or bottles of
750 ml.
A 330 ml can of standard beer provides 330 x 172/100 =
568 kJ,
which is the same as a daily double tot of whisky, cane, vodka or rum.
And a 750 ml bottle of standard beer provides 750 x 172/100 =
1,290 kJ, which equals 5 tots of spirits.
So let’s say you are a prudent beer drinker and have only one 330 ml can of beer a day, this will add 568 x 7 =
3,976 kJ per week to your energy intake. And if you're less careful and drink one 750 ml bottle of beer a day, you will add 1,290 x 7 =
9030 kJ to your weekly energy intake.
In
other words, even prudent beer drinkers who have only one can or one
bottle of beer a day, 7 days a week, will increase their energy intake
by around
4,000 kJ to 9,000 kJ per week, which can add up over time to cause fat deposition in the body.
Summary
We
need to keep in mind that (1) the energy content per gram, (2) the
energy content per 100 ml, and (3) the volume of alcoholic drinks we
consume all play a role in our energy consumption and level of fat
deposition.
Fat deposits
Where you deposit these extra kilojoules is probably determined by your
genetic makeup,
age and gender. Large stomachs tend to run in families, so genetics may
be important. Age is also involved, although nowadays there is an
alarming tendency for young people to develop what used to be called a
“corporation” (i.e. a large stomach).
Then there are the
gender-related fat depots – in women extra energy is usually deposited
in fat depots in the breasts, hips and buttocks, particularly in younger
women – later, after
menopause, abdominal fat deposits also increase in women.
In
men, fat is usually deposited in the abdomen and the neck, which is
often called a “buffalo hump”. (Apologies to the producers of buffalo
meat!)
Conclusion
Any
item of food or drink consumed in excess provides us with more energy
than we need and can be deposited as fat. Beer is certainly not the only
contributor to abdominal fat with all its health risks, but all
alcohol, even when consumed in very moderate quantities, does add to
your energy intake and may cause fat deposition, which in younger women
will probably produce “
pear-shaped adiposity” and in men and older women turn into “apple-shaped adiposity”.
It may be wise to keep this in mind when you sit down to watch the Cricket World Cup on TV!
References:
-
Anderson, S (2015). Revealed: Beer is not linked to ‘Beer Belly’. FPD
(2001). Certificate Course in the Management of Obesity. Foundation for
Professional Development, 13-14 Sept 2001, Centurion.
- Kaslow JE (2015) Body impedance Measurement.
- Mahan K L et al (2012). Krause’s Food & the Nutrition Care Process. Elsevier Publishers, USA.
- Wolmarans P et al (2010). Condensed Food Composition Tables for SA. Medical Research Council, Parow Valley, Cape Town.
