Some 54 per cent of heavier drinkers said in a survey that they would make changes to their drinking habits if calorie labels were introduced. Around half of heavy drinkers in England say they would change their habits if had calorie labels, according to a new survey. The research, which was published in the journal BMJ Open, included responses from more than 4,600 people who were asked whether they would change their drinking if “calorie information was provided on alcoholic drinks”.
Of those surveyed, around a quarter did not drink, 78 per cent were low-risk drinkers and 22 per cent were hazardous drinkers based on a validated alcohol use disorders questionnaire. Men were more likely than women to drink alcohol. They were also more likely than women to be hazardous drinkers rather than low-risk drinkers.
Researchers found that 54 per cent of the heavier or “hazardous” drinkers said they would make changes if calorie labels were introduced. More than a quarter of said they would pick lower-calorie drinks, while one in six said they would drink alcohol less frequently, according to the survey. The survey results suggest that “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,” Andrew Steptoe, lead author of the study and head of the research department of behavioural science and health at University College London (UCL), .
“While survey responses do.