There has long been talk of the "beer belly," attributing the bloating around the waist to excess food, lack of physical activity, or choosing beer over wine.
But a new British study suggests that alcohol itself may have a much bigger role than previously thought.
A 2026 analysis published in the International Journal of Obesity found that people who consume about one alcoholic drink a day are more likely to accumulate visceral fat — the type of fat that is deposited deep in the abdomen, around vital organs like the liver and pancreas. This fat is closely linked to heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Study in detail
The research analyzed nearly 6,000 adults aged 25–75 from the Oxford Biobank, a large project that reflects the British population.
Participants reported their weekly alcohol consumption (in British standard units; 1 unit = 8 grams of pure alcohol). The lowest drinking group drank up to four units per week, while at the other extreme were men who consumed 17–98 units and women 10–50 units per week.
In practical terms, 17 units a week equates to around six glasses of beer or wine – roughly one drink a day.
Instead of relying solely on weight or waist circumference, the researchers used detailed DEXA scans (a type of X-ray) to analyze body composition: fat, muscle, and bone. This method allows for the precise identification of visceral fat.
What did the results show?
The more alcohol participants consumed, the higher their percentage of visceral fat. This association remained strong even after factors such as age, smoking, physical activity, social status and total body fat were taken into account.
Men with the highest consumption had up to 13.5% more visceral fat compared to those who drank less.
Women in the highest group showed an increase of 17%.
Importantly, this effect was also seen in people who were not considered overweight. This suggests that alcohol may affect not only the amount of fat, but also how it is distributed in the body.
Traditional measurements like waist circumference often fail to detect this hidden risk. Someone can look fit but have dangerous fat accumulation around their organs.
What does this mean for current recommendations?
The NHS advises that men and women should not regularly consume more than 14 units of alcohol per week, spread over several days. Meanwhile, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention defines moderate drinking as up to one drink per day for women and up to two for men.
However, this study suggests that even levels within these ranges may favor the accumulation of metabolically harmful fat.
The researchers emphasize that the analysis does not directly prove causation, as consumption was self-reported and changes over time or by type of beverage were not tracked. But given that visceral fat is one of the strongest predictors of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, the findings raise serious questions.
The main message? Being thin doesn't necessarily mean you're protected from the effects of alcohol. Even one glass a day can have subtle consequences for metabolic health. /GazetaExpress/
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