Europe's beer makers claim beer is better for you than exercise

Is beer better for you than 30 minutes of exercise? Almost certainly not, especially if, you know, you drink all day and never exercise. But a strange story getting picked up around the world, and based on a belligerent press release, insists beer is better.

For years, beer has been blighted by a reputation for being more fattening than other alcoholic drinks, when in reality the exact opposite is true," beer expert Prof. Charlie Bamforth said. "The major source of calories in any alcoholic drink is the alcohol itself, and because beer is the drinks category with the lowest average alcohol content, it is also lowest in calories -- so for someone looking to lose weight, swapping their glass of wine for a beer every day would ... cut out more calories than are burned off during a typical 30-minute jog." [Fox]

This beer expert (i.e. "guy who got paid in beer") was hired by the totally-unbiased source known as Campaign for Real Ale, which helpfully points out that wine is for sissies. (Actually, I made that up, but the subtext is obvious.)

What do you think? 

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