A Beer-gut gene that gives fellas flabby tummies has been discovered by scientists.

  The medical breakthrough proves that guzzling ale is not the only reason why men develop saggy stomachs. They can also inherit from their parents a body make-up much more likely to run to fat.

  The beer-gut gene was tracked down by Italian experts. They found that men with a particular variant of it called DD were twice as likely to get fat. And they are also significantly more likely to put on the pounds around their midriff.

  Dr Carol Cooper said: "This sounds like a New Year's gift for all those guys who are tubby round the middle but aren't ready to give up the trips to the boozer. You're stuck with the genes you're born with, which could be just the excuse lardy lads who like a drink are looking for."

  Dr Pasquale Strazzullo warned the findings might not apply to British men - because the research was based entirely on Italians.

  科學家發現有一種基因會讓小伙子們長出松松垮垮的啤酒肚。

  醫學上的這一突破表明，男人們的啤酒肚并不完全是因為狂飲啤酒而造成的。他們還有可能早就從父母那里繼承了易發胖的體形。

  啤酒肚基因是由意大利專家發現的。他們發現，體內攜帶一種被稱作DD的特殊基因變體的男子發胖的幾率是常人的兩倍。而且值得注意的是，這些人發胖的部位更有可能是腰腹部。

  卡羅爾·庫珀醫生說："對于那些'腰掛游泳圈'卻又不肯停止飲酒的男士來說，這一發現聽起來是不錯的新年禮物。貪杯的胖小伙們一定樂意把天生有肥胖基因看成是很好的借口。"

  而珀斯夸爾醫生則警告說，該研究結果也許并不適用于英國男士--因為調查完全是在意大利人中進行的。