Brits drinking themselves to obesity

Aug 27 2007

According to the insurance company Standard Life, Brits are drinking themselves to obesity.

Apparently the average adult in Britain is drinking an added day's worth of calories every week with their alcohol intake.

The new study claims Brits are putting their health at risk with their drinking habits.

According to the study a typical person drinks enough lager, wine, cider and spirits to add almost 3,000 calories to their weekly intake which equates to 500 calories above the average male recommended daily limit of 2,500 calories, and 50% more than the advised maximum of 2,000 calories a day for women.

Standard Life's figures add fuel to the debate about soaring rates of obesity in the UK, as an extra 3,500 calories creates around one pound of fat.

The study reveals that men are the worst culprits knocking back the alcoholic equivalent of almost of 200,000 calories annually, while women are consuming an extra 110,000 each year.

Normal strength lager and continental lagers are men’s favourite alcoholic drinks, closely followed by wine and spirits.

For women small and large measures of red and white wine are the main source of alcohol calories followed by spirits, lager and alcopops.

Mick James, protection marketing manager for Standard Life, says the figures paint a stark picture of how Britain is heading towards alcoholic-induced obesity.

He says it is a growing concern to public health in view of the proven links to the incidence of diabetes, hypertension, heart attack and other cardiovascular conditions, and obesity.

He also says there is evidence which suggests that obesity has actually been reversing the improvements in mortality, made as a result of improvements in medicine.

When it comes to alcoholic drinks with the highest calorific value, beer and lager are top of the league with cider, wine and alcopop close behind.

James says the figures really put into perspective just what a key part drink plays in our calorie intake and our health but most people are clearly unaware just how calorific a pint of lager or a glass of wine is.

Awareness of the calorific value in foods is not reflected in alcohol as more than 60% of women and three quarters of men (74%) admit that they either don’t know how many calories are in alcohol or are not sure.