Beer Belly Men Could Die Prematurely

09/01/07 Four out of five men with beer bellies could die young, and they might not realise it.

One third of British men around 7.5 million admit to a beer belly. Looking down, nearly one in eight of all men can't see their belt, and for some, their feet have long gone.

And even among those who say they don't have a beer belly, 43 percent are overweight or obese.

So says the first survey of its kind from weight loss specialist LighterLife, which lifts the lid and the T-shirt on the British "pot", to reveal the measure of the problem.

The poll by BMRB was conducted among 813 men, nationally representative, to mark the launch of a new men's weight loss programme, and reveals that:

-- Eighty percent of men who say they have a beer belly are overweight or obese, and could die prematurely. Just one stone overweight doubles the risk of a heart attack, and three or more stone increases the threat of obesity-related killers such as cancer, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.

-- Sixty four percent of this group feel they might be overweight, but only 14 percent think they need to lose weight.

-- Thirty seven percent of men go to the pub at least once a week, and 14 percent 2-3 times a week.

-- 47% of those with a beer belly go to the pub at least every week.

-- A third of beer belly owners are embarrassed, with only seven percent claiming to be proud.

When men were offered a list of food and drink which were difficult to resist, "beer or lager" was in the top three answers, second only to roast dinners.

Bar Hewlett, founder of LighterLife, said: "The era of pride in a beer belly has long gone, but it's a growing problem, and still men don't realise that not seeing their belt or feet now might also mean they don't see their children growing up.