Half of UK adults unaware of their alcohol calorie intake

Many UK consumers are unaware of their calorie intake when it comes to alcohol, as 44% of British adults admit to never checking how many calories they’re consuming, in comparison to 19% who always do, according to new figures released today by reduced-calorie alcohol retailer, SkinnyBooze.

The same survey also uncovered that nearly half (45%) of the British public have been drinking more alcohol since the beginning of lockdown. While almost one-in-five (17%) have consumed more than 30 units of alcohol per week since March - equating to over 2,000 additional calories a week, and the equivalent of eating more than seven cheeseburgers.

Millennials have been drinking the most during lockdown, with 59% of those aged 25-34 admitting they’ve consumed more alcohol, in comparison to just 31% of over 55s and 43% of 18-24-year-olds. Interestingly, Gen Z is the least likely age group to consume any alcohol, as 34% responded saying they do not drink at all. Meanwhile, men have been drinking more since the start of the pandemic (50%), in comparison to women (40%).

The figures come as the government lays out its long-term plans to combat the UK’s obesity crisis, recently rolling out its Better Health drive campaign. Spearheaded by Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, the Better Health drive is a government initiative aimed at getting the country fitter, in turn protecting the NHS during a time of crisis. As part of the strategy, there will be an initial consultation led by the government on its intention to make manufacturers provide calorie labelling on alcohol they sell.

Founder of SkinnyBooze, Tom Bell, who has been lobbying for the move for some time, comments: “There is a crucial education piece missing from the government’s current strategy and is absolutely imperative in order for it be successful. The government needs to ensure brands are providing the public with full insight into the true contents of everything they consume. It’s a huge misconception that alcohol doesn’t have that many calories, with many UK adults completely unaware of exactly what’s in the common drinks they’re regularly consuming. This is the problem we have to solve.”

According to the Department of Health and Social Care alcohol accounts for nearly 10% of calories drinkers consume in the UK, yet there is currently no requirement for brands to provide information on the calorie content in alcohol. While obesity has long been one of the UK’s biggest health crises, with almost two-thirds of adults in England being either overweight or living with obesity.

“The findings of our research clearly demonstrate there’s a huge job to be done, as consumers have little insight into the level of calories the alcohol they’re drinking contains. For the government’s campaign to be successful, there really does need to be a huge focus on this crucial education piece,”concludes Tom.