Alcohol calorie content labels needed

Posted 31/10/2014

Alcohol should have a calorie content label in order to help reduce obesity, according to public health doctors.

The doctors warn a large glass of wine can contain around 200 calories – the same as a doughnut.   Yet the Royal Society for Public Health says the vast majority of people are blissfully unaware of this.  Public Health Minister Jane Ellison said “great strides” had been made with labelling food, and that the government will look at the issue.

The drinks industry said it was open to the idea of calorie labels, but that labelling drinks with units of alcohol was more important.

The UK is one of the most obese nations in the world with about a quarter of adults classed as obese. Research by the Royal Society for Public Health suggested the measure would be popular with British drinkers.

In a small pub experiment conducted by the society, people who were told the calorie content of their drink consumed 400 fewer calories in a session.

A 250ml glass of 8% wine is 170 calories

• The same amount of 14% wine is 230 calories
• A 275ml alcopop can be 170 calories
• A pint of 4% beer is more than 180 calories
• Four pints on a night out equates of two-and-a-half burgers or 73 minutes of running
• In comparison a sugary doughnut comes in around 200 calories

Julie Crossley, a medical injury lawyer at Ashtons Legal comments: “Obesity is a massive problem in the UK and leads to a raft of serious and potentially life threatening conditions so it is important that we educate ourselves and future generations about eating sensibly and keeping to a healthy weight; this would help to prevent, diabetes, stroke, heart conditions and other illnesses all of which are associated with being over weight.  The less people that come into the health service with these conditions for treatment the fewer litigation claims would arise.”