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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think calories should be on alcohol labels

32 replies

shebird · 10/04/2014 16:03

DH and I are on a diet and I have noticed that the number of calories is not listed on wine or beer. Having done a bit of research online I am amazed at how high this can be and how easy it is to consume so many extra calories without realising. Personally I find this more of a deterrent than the recommended units thing and I am amazed that these labels appear on everything but alcohol.
Sorry for being a killjoy so close to the weekend

OP posts:

Dwerf · 10/04/2014 16:04

It would indeed be a great help.

chocoluvva · 10/04/2014 16:05

Good idea. (it's one of the ways I try to dissuade my teenage DC from drinking too much)

Dahlen · 10/04/2014 16:06

Some brands have already cottoned on to this. I think it is inevitable before they all catch up, so you'll get your wish eventually. The more people talk about it, however, the more likely it will be to happen sooner rather than later, so I think it's great you posted this.

thebody · 10/04/2014 16:07

Not sure I want to know but it's a good idea.

FourForksAche · 10/04/2014 16:07

Great idea!

chocchips · 10/04/2014 16:09

Good idea. I can't believe the amount of people who don't realise alcohol is full of calories!

FraidyCat · 10/04/2014 16:10

The calories in alcohol are only part of the problem if you are worried about your weight, I think alcohol also desensitises you so that you don't know when you've eaten enough.

PoirotsMoustache · 10/04/2014 16:10

I totally agree. I've been calorie-counting for the past couple of weeks, and it's such a pain having to look it up whenever I fancy a glass of wine or bottle of beer. They absolutely should start putting the calorie content on labels and cans/tins.

piscivorous · 10/04/2014 16:22

I think it's a terrible idea - there will be no fun left in life if we know the calories in everything!

I went on an alcohol awareness course (to do with my job, not because of any problem) and was stunned to realise how many people are exceeding the recommended units each week unknowingly. I discovered that one of my home-poured gin and tonics was about 3.5 units The trainer told us on this course the calories in some drinks, relating it to equivalent of Cadburys Crunchies, the highest was 4 which I think was a pint of something but I'm damned if I can remember what.
This knowledge is now ruining my enjoyment of drinking, I'm thinking of complaining to my manager as I am clearly traumatised

Original poster

shebird · 10/04/2014 16:43

I agree it's no fun knowing the calories but as you say people take little notice of the units thing and regularly exceed it. Most people know a lot more about calories than they do about units of alcohol.

OP posts:

RedFocus · 10/04/2014 16:43

And carbs!

Original poster

shebird · 10/04/2014 16:56

There are calories and information on fruit juice, squash and even bottled water FFS...very odd

OP posts:

ICanSeeTheSun · 10/04/2014 17:00

Good idea.

On a related subject why is there a no drinking sign for pregnant women on the bottles.

Original poster

shebird · 10/04/2014 21:06

I don't think alcohol packaging needs to go done the road of cigarette type warnings but it should at least carry the same information as other food and soft drinks.

OP posts:

Original poster

shebird · 10/04/2014 21:07

down

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Wantsunshine · 10/04/2014 21:11

I would put mine in a wine sleeve then. I don't want to know.

DramaAlpaca · 10/04/2014 21:13

Good idea. I was shocked when I found out the calories in wine. It was enough to make me cut down.

RawCoconutMacaroon · 10/04/2014 21:16

Yanbu, but calories is only one aspect, there is even more important info missing from most alcohol bottles/cans ... An ingredient list. Annoying for those of us trying to avoid certain ingredients (which don't need to be declared currently), it's often very difficult to find out what an alcoholic drink actually contains.

For carb/calorie restriction, spirits are the way to go! Vodka, tequila etc, don't add sugary mixers tho!

Anotheronebitthedust · 10/04/2014 21:31

Good idea! I went to New York a few years ago and hated the calories on everything. Thought smugly 'So glad they don't do that in UK.' Six months later they started appearing everywhere.

But, to be honest, I've come round to it now. If I go out to dinner I 'know' I'm going to be having more calories than normal so I plan for it by not eating so much during the day, so I'm prepared for the calories on the menu and it doesn't put me off.

What is good is that you can spot the difference between things you would otherwise have thought of as pretty much the same, e.g. I was surprised to see a chicken burger can be 300 cals less than a beef. So you can make an informed decision! It's so easy to have a few glasses of wine with your meal, without realising that each glass can be the same as a dessert.

I wouldn't eat three doughnuts in a go (actually ) but would quite happily drink 3 pints, which is pretty much the same.

Nancy66 · 10/04/2014 21:37

But not on Baileys because I love Baileys and I don't want to read that it's 418 calories per thimble full.

theborrower · 10/04/2014 21:43

Good idea. I was shocked when I found out the calories in wine. It was enough to make me cut down.

Exactly why it's a great idea. It reminds me of the health campaign they had a wee while back about dropping a glass size and dress size because it pointed out how calorific wine, and other alcohol, is. People are quite aware of calories, and it's another angle of health promotion, isn't it?

DramaAlpaca · 10/04/2014 21:56

theborrower that's exactly what's happened to me - I cut down on the wine & dropped a dress size. So knowing how many calories in wine has benefited me in more ways than one - it's improved my health & made me lose weight. Win-win in my view.

chipsandpeas · 11/04/2014 07:02

On a related subject why is there a no drinking sign for pregnant women on the bottles.*

some do....but surely its common sense, if someone pregnant was going to have a drink then a sign on a bottle probably isnt going to stop them

Ragwort · 11/04/2014 07:08

No, I don't think it is a good idea - it is just more 'nanny state'. Surely most people know that alcohol is full of calories etc - if it bothers you that much just check it out before hand.

I do think people should learn to take more personal responsibility - and if a pregnant woman wants to have a drink surely she can be her own judge - you can just imagine how people would enjoy pointing out the 'rules' if someone decides to have a small glass of wine whilst pregnant (I have heard of waiting staff doing this ).

Original poster

shebird · 11/04/2014 14:58

Ragwort I agree that warnings regarding pregnant women would be excessive. I disagree that most people know exactly how many calories are in alcoholic drinks. I think generally people know that drinking too much is bad for your health and have some vague idea about units but it stops there. Virtually everything else we put in our mouth has this information so why not apply this the alcohol?

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