Some 54% of heavy drinkers surveyed said they would change their drinking habits if calorie labelling was introduced.
Nearly half of heavy drinkers in England say they would change their habit if: alcohol A new study found that many foods come with calorie labels.
The study, published in the journal BMJ Open, included responses from more than 4,600 people to a question about whether they would change their drinking habits if alcoholic drinks contained calorie information.
Of those surveyed, about a quarter were abstainers, 78 percent were low-risk drinkers, and 22 percent were hazardous drinkers based on a validated alcohol use disorder questionnaire.
Men were more likely than women to drink alcohol, and men were more likely than women to be hazardous rather than low-risk drinkers.
The researchers found that 54% of heavier or ‘risky’ drinkers said they would change their drinking habits if calorie labelling was introduced.
More than a quarter Heavy Drinker The survey found that one in six people said they would choose lower-calorie drinks and one in six said they would drink alcohol less frequently.
The findings suggest that “labelling may help target high-risk drinkers who are more likely to ingest a higher proportion of their calories from alcohol and therefore gain weight,” lead author Andrew Steptoe, head of behavioural and health research at University College London (UCL), said in a statement.
“While survey responses do not necessarily align with behavior, the results suggest that labels may be helpful in reducing intake of hidden calories in alcohol,” he added.
Overall, some 46% of alcohol drinkers said they would change their habits if calorie labelling was introduced.
Heavy drinkers were better at estimating the calorie content of alcoholic beverages than non-drinkers.
But the researchers warned that because heavy drinkers tend to overestimate the calorie content of alcoholic drinks, increased knowledge could encourage some drinkers to consume more alcohol.
The researchers also noted that the study had several limitations, including that it was based on self-reported alcohol consumption and had no information on participants’ weight.
They also noted that “the number of people reporting harmful levels of drinking was low.”
Labeling alone does not significantly reduce harm
A 2011 European Union directive requires nutritional labelling on foods and drinks, but exempts drinks with an alcohol content of more than 1.2%.
Europe’s latest cancer-fighting plan sees the European Commission proposing mandatory ingredient lists and nutritional labelling for alcoholic drinks.
advertisementIn a statement provided to Euronews Health, Dr. Catherine Severi, chief executive of the Alcohol Institute, said the new study “shows that people want to know the calories in the alcohol they drink and that this may help inform their decisions.”
“Alcohol is linked to more than 200 health conditions, including cancer, liver disease and high blood pressure, so people have a right to know what they’re taking in. Only mandatory labelling, not industry self-regulation, will achieve that,” she added.
Co-author Jamie Brown, professor of behavioural science at UCL, said the results were “encouraging, but alcohol calorie labelling alone is unlikely to make a significant contribution to the UK government’s strategy to reduce the harms from alcohol and obesity.”
“It could play an active role as part of a more comprehensive approach that includes regulation of advertising, availability, taxation and pricing.”
advertisement
