There is a widespread belief that alcoholic beverages, and beer in particular, lead to weight gain, especially around the abdomen. However, scientific evidence is not clear. Alcoholic beverages certainly contain calories but it seems that weight gain is mostly associated with higher intake levels. Moderate alcohol consumption, particularly in women, seems not to be associated with weight gain. The relationship between body weight and alcohol consumption is complex, involving not only the amount and type of alcohol consumed, but also drinking patterns, gender, beverage type and lifestyle can play a role.
Obesity is a multi-factorial condition and it is difficult to truly assess the independent influence of alcohol intake on obesity risk.
The relationship between alcohol consumption and metabolic syndrome risk seems to be J-shaped, with reduced risk associated with low alcohol consumption and higher risk with heavy drinking.
Please find below a list of publications regarding alcohol consumption and body weight, whose abstracts and results should be read in the above-given context.