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Adding calorie information to labels on alcoholic drinks could help people lose weight – study
More than half of heavy drinkers in England would change their alcohol consumption habits if there was just one simple change to the way they were packaged, according to a recent study.
There are specific groups of people who shouldnt drink alcohol at all. But most of us do, whether its a tipple of an evening or a few drinks over the weekend. Alcoholic drinks have been shown to affect men and women differently, meaning a simple change in what we drink could be as effective in changing how much we drink when managing health concerns. But the present study is about quantity, and the amount we drink is connected to the size of our waistlines.�
Simple change to alcohol packaging could help people drink less, save more, and lose weight
A recent study by researchers in London, England found that 54% of heavy drinkers would make changes to their drinking if calorie labels were introduced.
44% of lighter drinkers would.
That figure of 54% is split between three camps. More than a quarter of heavy drinkers would opt to drink alcoholic beverages with fewer calories. 18% would drink alcohol less often, while 17% would consume fewer drinks in the first place.
And all it would take is a simple packaging change.�Meanwhile, the average British household spends the equivalent of $1,000 on alcoholic drinks, both in and out of the house. 0.8% of Americans’ household spending is on alcoholic drinks. Drinking less would therefore help people save money.
Our study found that a sizeable proportion of heavier drinkers said they would change their drinking habits if calorie labelling was introduced, said lead author Andrew Steptoe.
This suggests labelling might help target higher-risk drinkers who are getting a greater proportion of calories from alcohol and are more likely to gain excess weight as a result.
We get a lot of our calories from alcohol
About 9% of calories consumed by men and 5% by women come from alcoholic drinks, according to Professor Steptoe. Thats in the UK; figures are available for the US, too, but theyre a bit out of date.
According to the CDC, in 2012, on a given day, consumers of alcoholic beverages in the US obtain approximately 16% of their total caloric intake from them. This is equivalent to the percentage obtained by US children from added sugars. The percentages may have changed since then, however.
The current legal situation in the UK means that manufacturers of alcoholic drinks dont have to display nutritional information on the packaging. They only need to show the strength of the alcohol, the volume of the drink, and any allergens they contain.
Cutting down on alcohol could help people lose weight, but nutritional information is not enough
We reported in August that counting calories could be an effective way to self-regulate alcohol consumption: Being reminded about a previous alcohol episode reduces the motivation to consume alcohol, and part of that involves becoming aware of the amount of calories in alcoholic beverages.
Being aware of the calories in certain drinks could, in the case of the UK, contribute towards the governments strategy to reduce harms from alcohol and obesity, said the London studys co-author, Jamie Brown.
But he admitted that is unlikely that alcohol calorie labelling in isolation would contribute substantially.
Instead, it should form part of a comprehensive approach, including regulation on advertising, availability, taxation and price.”
