SWAP A BEER FOR WATER, LOSE WEIGHT

FILE THIS under the category of Super Obvious: According to a recent study, replacing a beer with a glass of water every day could cut people’s chances of becoming obese by 2O% on average. Researchers from the University of Navarra in Spain found that the same holds true for sugary soft drinks: having a water each day instead cut the risk of obesity among more than 16,OOO participants in the study by 15%. The study used mathematical modelling to calculate the impact of changing the drinking habits of university graduates. Exchanging water for beer or sugary soft drinks such as colas reduced the likelihood that they would become obese. Of particular note: Swapping wine for water did not have an effect. Some experts say the fattening effects of beer, which in bottles or pints usually contains more calories than a small glass of wine, are under-recognized. The study gathered data from the SUN Cohort (Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra), which began recruiting Spanish university students in 1999. They filled out questionnaires on the frequency with which they drank 17 different beverages when they joined the study and were asked again every two years. Approximately 15,765 people participated in the study. Over the course of more than eight years, 873 participants became obese. Mathematical modelling was used to calculate the difference in outcomes if people had drunk daily water instead of daily beer, wine or other drinks.