Here are 5 reasons alcohol causes a pot belly

Research carried out showed that men who drink at least three bottles or pints of alcohol in a day are more likely to have a bigger stomach than those who don’t.

The kind of belly fat that excess alcohol intake causes is called visceral fat.

This is usually associated with heart disease, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, sleep apnea and abdominal obesity.

So, why does alcohol cause your belly to grow bigger?

1. Alcohol slows down your body’s ability to burn fat

When alcohol is present in the body, the body tries to digest it first before any other food substance in the body.

This means that the other food substances that could have been burned off and converted into energy are spared and they accumulate in the belly.

2. Alcohol is high in calories

Alcohol has an unusually high-calorie content than most meals, even carbohydrates. More calories means excess weight gain.

3. Alcohol causes lethargy

When you drink alcohol you feel slower and lethargic and you would most likely not like to exercise or move around.

This is because it causes a drop in blood sugar levels and reduces activities that burn energy.

4. Alcohol increases your appetite

Another reason why alcohol causes your belly to be larger is that it causes your appetite to increase.

Drinking alcohol and eating it with other meals that are high in calories like roasted chicken or turkey will lead to fat being gathered around your belly.