# Is There Really Such A Thing As A 'Beer Belly'?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-such-a-thing-as-a-beer-belly/168640>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 14, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-such-a-thing-as-a-beer-belly/168640 "2003-04-14T14:59:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-such-a-thing-as-a-beer-belly/168640/1 "2003-04-14T14:59:18Z")

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Is there any validity to the belief that drinking beer will cause a person to accumulate fat on his or her belly, for reasons other than the calorie content alone?

In other words, if you took a set of identical twins and put them on the exact same daily caloric intake and exercise regiment, only you had one obtain a portion of the calories by drinking a 12-pack every day, would the beer-drinking twin eventually have more fat on his abdominal region?

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-such-a-thing-as-a-beer-belly/168640/2 "2003-04-14T15:42:41Z")

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No. People accumulate fat in different areas. My father’s side of the family is full of otherwise skinny people, who have gravity-defying large pot bellies. And most of them were not drinkers.

You can find more by Googling [beer belly myth]

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**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-such-a-thing-as-a-beer-belly/168640/3 "2003-04-14T15:49:26Z")

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Those guys drink the beer in addition to the food, not instead of it.