On average, 42% of them prefer it to any other kind of alcohol, so you might not be shocked to hear that, according to multiple studies, over half of American adults have a beer gut.

平均而言，42% 的人喜愛啤酒勝過其他種類的酒，所以當你聽到多項研究顯示超過一半以上的美國成人都有啤酒肚時，應該也不感到驚訝。

But don't swear off your Friday-night cold one just yet because it's not beer specifically that's to blame.

不過你還不用急著戒掉在星期五夜晚來一杯清涼啤酒，因為啤酒肚不完全是啤酒造成的。

Apple or hourglass, oval or inverted triangle, everyone has their own body shape, and that's partially because people store fat in different places depending on their genetics and hormones.

蘋果或是漏斗狀、橢圓形還是倒三角形，每個人都擁有獨特的體型，這是因為人體會依遺傳基因和荷爾蒙而將脂肪儲存在不同的地方。

For women, popular spots include the thighs, arms, and backside, while men tend to store fat in their bellies.

對女性而言，常發胖的部位落在大腿、手臂和臀部，而男性的脂肪則傾向於囤積腹部。

Much of it is a type of fat called visceral fat, which lurks deep within the stomach.

其中大部分的脂肪是內臟脂肪，潛藏在胃部深處。

In men, visceral fat tends to pile up behind the abdominal wall, where it pushes the abs outward, creating a protruding beer belly.

男性的內臟脂肪常囤積在腹壁後，並將腹肌往外推，形成凸出的啤酒肚。

Though that name, "beer belly," is kind of a misnomer, because beer bellies aren't exclusive to beer drinkers.

但其實「啤酒肚」是用詞不當，因為啤酒肚不會只出現在啤酒飲用者身上。

That's because the problem isn't the actual beer.

那是因為問題不是出在啤酒本身。

It's the calories inside it.

而是啤酒裡的熱量。

On average, your favorite ale contains around 150 calories per can.

平均而言，你最喜歡的麥芽啤酒每罐含有約 150 卡路里。

That's 30 to 50 more calories than a 5-ounce glass of wine and 45 more than a shot of whiskey.

那比一杯 5 盎司的葡萄酒多出 30 到 50 卡，也比一小杯威士忌多出 45 卡。

And if you don't burn them off, those extra calories can go straight to your gut.

如果你不將卡路里燃燒掉，那些多餘的熱量將直接進入你的腸道。

But not only do the number of calories matter, but the kind of calories.

不過問題不只是卡路里數目，卡路里的種類也很重要。

Beer contains high levels of processed carbs, which research shows can interfere with insulin levels and promote fat storage around your organs.

啤酒裡含有高度的加工碳水化合物，研究顯示它可能干擾胰島素水平並促使脂肪在器官周圍堆積。

And while a serving of wine, for instance, contains just 1 or 2 grams of carbs, a serving of beer contains 10 to 20.

雖然一杯葡萄酒僅含 1 到 2 克的碳水化合物，但一杯啤酒卻含有 10 到 20 克。

It doesn't really matter whether these calories and carbs come from beer specifically or from some other kind of junk food.

這些卡路里和碳水化合物是來自啤酒或其他垃圾食物並不重要。

So the good news is, beer in moderation shouldn't give you a beer belly.

好消息是，適度飲用啤酒並不會讓你有啤酒肚。

That being said, no matter where it comes from, a beer belly is bad news.

話雖如此，無論啤酒肚是怎麼來的，都不是好事。

That's because visceral fat wraps around your kidneys, liver, and intestines, and releases hormones that can disrupt their normal function, and that can lead to issues like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer.

那是因為內臟脂肪會包覆你的腎臟、肝臟和腸道，並釋放破壞它們正常功能的荷爾蒙，導致第二型糖尿病、心臟病，甚至是癌症。

If that's not bad enough, once your belly runs out of room to store that visceral fat, your body might start building it up inside nearby organs, which can lead to fatty liver disease and other issues.

如果這還不夠糟，當你的腹部沒有儲存內臟脂肪的空間後，你的身體可能會開始將它堆積在鄰近的器官內，而導致脂肪肝和其他問題。

In fact, one study found that men with beer bellies or a waste-to-hip ratio over 0.9 had a 87% higher risk for death than those who carried the same amount of fat in other parts of their body.

一項研究發現，有啤酒肚或是腰、臀圍比例超過 0.9 的男性，其死亡風險比身體其他部位帶有相同脂肪量的男性高 87%。

87%! That's right.

沒錯，整整 87%！

So, even if you're otherwise skinny, a spare tire can threaten your life.

所以說，就算你很其他部位纖瘦，腰間有贅肉還是可能要你的命。

And guys are more likely to grow a gut as they get older because testosterone, a sex hormone that helps keep men slim, decreases with age.

而男性隨著年紀增長，更容易長肚子，因為睪丸激素，一個讓男性保持身材苗條的性激素，會因年紀增長而減少。

So, while it's fun to joke about your developing dad bod, maybe just stick to having one or two brewskis a night instead of the whole six-pack.

雖然你可以開著把自己養出爸爸身材的玩笑話，但堅持一晚只喝一、兩瓶啤酒或許還是比喝光六瓶裝好。