beer belly

1 definition found

beer belly - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  beer belly \beer" bel`ly\ n.
     a protruding potbelly caused by excessive drinking of beer.
  
     Syn: beer gut.
          [PJC]
  
                In one of the less surprising revelations of the
                year, researchers at the University of North
                Carolina (UNC) and colleagues have confirmed that
                excessive consumption of beer can lead to the
                condition commonly known as beer belly. At the
                same time, however, they discovered that, beyond
                aesthetic concerns, the condition may point to
                health hazards of a more serious nature. In a
                comparison of beer drinkers and wine drinkers, the
                scientists found that beer tends to build a
                central paunch, or "potbelly", while wine drinkers
                tend to have narrower waists, even when the same
                amount of alcohol and calories is consumed by
                both.                               --The
                                                    Scientist --
                                                    December 11,
                                                    1995.