A common way of trying to discourage alcohol drinking among college students is to stress the calories in alcoholic beverages. But this may have dangerous outcomes.
Overview
I. The Study
II. Calories in Beverages
III. Resources
I. The Study
A study of 4,271 students from ten colleges were in the research. Thirty-nine percent of the students had drunk within the previous 30 days. They reported that they restricted their eating on days they planned to drink alcohol. Of these, 67% said they ate less on those days because of weight concerns.
Eating less on days they drank led to a greater risk of intoxication. Women who ate less were more likely to report bad outcomes. These included blackouts, being injured, sexual assault, and unprotected sex. Men who ate less were more likely to get into physical fights.
The practice of eating before and while drinking is good. That’s because it reduces intoxication. Yet many reduce their eating on days they drink. And they do so because of calories in alcohol.
Most alcohol beverages contain fewer calories than most non-alcohol beverages. And alcoholic beverages contain no fat or cholesterol and are very low in carbs.
II. Calories in Alcoholic Beverages vs Non-Alcoholic
| Beverage | Calories | Carbs (grams) | Fat (grams) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcoholic | |||
| Beer (regular) | 146 | 13.13 | .000 |
| Beer (lite) | 99 | 4.60 | .000 |
| All Distilled Spirits (rum, vodka, whiskey, gin, tequila, bourbon, etc.) | 97 | 0.00 | .000 |
| Wine (red) | 125 | 3.5 | .000 |
| Wine (white) | 120 | 3.5 | .000 |
| Non-Alcoholic | |||
| Apple juice (unsweetened) | 117 | 28.96 | .273 |
| Apricot juice | 140 | 36.11 | .226 |
| Carbonated cola | 155 | 39.77 | .000 |
| Grape juice (unsweetened) | 155 | 37.84 | .202 |
| Grapefruit juice (unsweetened) | 94 | 22.13 | .247 |
| Lemonade | 131 | 34.05 | .149 |
| Milk (2% fat) | 122 | 11.41 | 4.807 |
| Orange juice (unsweetened) | 112 | 26.84 | .149 |
| Prune juice | 182 | 44.67 | .077 |
| Tangerine juice (unsweetened) | 125 | 29.88 | .098 |
| Tomato juice | 41 | 10.30 | .122 |
Source: USDA Nutrient Data Lab.
And many studies have shown that drinking tends not to increase weight. Also, among women, it is often leads to slight losses in weight.
So the use of the “alcohol will make you fat” tactic appears to be counter productive and undesirable.
III. Resources: Calories in Alcoholic Beverages
Web Pages
Source
Giles, S. et al. Calorie restriction on drinking days. Drinking consequences among college students. J Am Coll Health, 57(6), 603-10.
Note
This site gives no advice.