A Beer-gut gene¹ that gives fellas flabby tummies has been discovered by scientists.

The medical breakthrough proves that guzzling² ale is not the only reason why men develop saggy³ 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 variant⁴ 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 genes⁵ 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 entirely⁶ on Italians.