Alcohol turning women's bodies into 'wineglass' figures

Melbourne, June 29 : With the ladies catching up really fast with their male counterparts in the drinking stakes, their waistlines are also drawing near men's beer bellies, says a new research.

Jacqui Lowdon, from the British Dietetic Association, has given the apple-shaped body type a new name - the wineglass - due to the love of the drink.

Lowdon said that it was the result of image-conscious women exercising to keep fit, and yet neglecting to cut back their alcohol intake.

The shape is characterised by weight accumulating in the middle, creating a larger upper body and a thinner lower half.

Usually seen in women after menopause, this barrel-torso physique is now becoming common in the under-30s.

International health and longevity expert Dr John Tickell cited extended drinking hours contributed to the growing number of "wineglass'' figures.

"The social pressures on the way we eat and drink are just so different to what they were 50 years ago,'' The Daily Telegraph quoted Tickell, as saying.

"What happens now is that most of the kids don't go out until 10 or 11 or midnight, and they stay out drinking in clubs all night," he added.

Tickell explained that people's sedentary lifestyles and intake of excess calories through alcoholic drinks such as wine and sweet alcopops contributed to the skinny-leg, big-belly look.

"The evolution of the wineglass shape for women, with the thinner legs, is because we don't use our legs. We don't play netball, we don't climb stairs - we don't do anything. This is not a genetic thing; it's a lifestyle thing. The accumulation of excess calories you consume starts to go around the tummy," he said.

Tickell said it was a worrying trend and could lead to a number of health problems.

ANI