Calorie Labels on Alcohol Bottles Can Change the Habit of Heavy Drinkers: Survey
Just over half of heavier drinkers in England say they would make changes to their drinking if calorie labels for alcohol were introduced, according to a new study by University College of London researchers.
The findings suggested calorie labels could help some drinkers maintain a healthier weight.
The study, published in the journal British Medical Journal Open, looked at survey responses from 4,683 adults in England to assess the impact that alcohol calorie labeling might have on people’s attitudes and drinking behavior.
The researchers found that 54% of heavier said they would make changes to their drinking if calorie labels were introduced. This is compared to 44% of lighter drinkers.
Asked about specific behaviour changes, more than a quarter of heavier drinkers (27%) said they would choose lower-calorie drinks, while one in six said they would drink alcohol less often (18%) and consume fewer drinks (17%).
The researchers also assessed people’s knowledge of the calorie contents of alcoholic drinks, finding that hazardous drinkers were more likely than low-risk drinkers or non-drinkers to accurately estimate the number of calories in beer, wine, cider and spirits.
Lead author Professor Andrew Steptoe (UCL Behavioural Science & Health) said: “Our study found that a sizeable proportion of heavier drinkers said they would change their drinking habits if calorie labeling was introduced.
“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.
“While survey responses do not necessarily correspond to behaviour, the results indicate that labels could play a useful role in reducing consumption of the hidden calories in alcohol.
“About 9% of calories consumed by men and 5% by women come from alcoholic drinks. Alcohol calorie labelling could therefore contribute in a modest way to helping people maintain a healthy weight.”
For the new study, researchers looked at survey responses from a representative sample of adults in England, collected between November 2022 and January 2023.
They grouped survey respondents into non-drinkers, low-risk drinkers and hazardous drinkers based on a questionnaire about drinking habits, which asked about the amount of alcohol consumed as well as the impact of drinking on daily life. About three quarters of drinkers were classed as low-risk and one quarter as hazardous.
More than half of respondents (58%) said calorie labelling would be useful, with 64% agreeing it should be provided in shops and supermarkets, and 52% saying it should be available in pubs, bars and restaurants. Drinkers were less likely than non-drinkers to support labelling being provided.
Asked to choose the correct 50kcal range for different alcoholic drinks, hazardous drinkers were consistently more accurate compared with non-drinkers and low-risk drinkers. If they were not accurate, they tended to overestimate rather than under-estimate calorie content.
Reference: Steptoe, A., Sheen, F., Conway, R., & et al. (2024). Potential impact of alcohol calorie labelling on the attitudes and drinking behaviour of hazardous and low-risk drinkers in England: A national survey. BMJ Open, 14, e087491. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-087491
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