Half of heavier drinkers say calorie labels on alcohol would lead to a change in their drinking habits

Just over half of heavier drinkers in England say they would make changes to their drinking if calorie labels for alcohol were introduced, according to a new study by UCL researchers.

The findings, the researchers said, suggested calorie labels could help some drinkers maintain a healthier weight.

The study, published in the journal BMJ Open, looked at survey responses from 4,683 adults in England to assess the impact that alcohol calorie labeling might have on people’s attitudes and drinking behavior.

The researchers found that 54% of heavier drinkers (defined as “hazardous drinkers,” based on a questionnaire) said they would make changes to their drinking if calorie labels were introduced. This compared to 44% of lighter drinkers.

Asked about specific behavior changes, more than a quarter of heavier drinkers (27%) said they would choose lower-calorie drinks, while one in six said they would drink alcohol less often (18%) and consume fewer drinks (17%).

The researchers also assessed people’s knowledge of the calorie contents of alcoholic drinks, finding that hazardous drinkers were more likely than low-risk drinkers or non-drinkers to accurately estimate the number of calories in beer, wine, cider and spirits.

Lead author Professor Andrew Steptoe (UCL Behavioural Science & Health) said, “Our study found that a sizable proportion of heavier drinkers said they would change their drinking habits if calorie labeling was introduced. This suggests labeling 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.

“While survey responses do not necessarily correspond to behavior, the results indicate that labels could play a useful role in reducing consumption of the hidden calories in alcohol. About 9% of calories consumed by men and 5% by women come from alcoholic drinks. Alcohol calorie labeling could therefore contribute in a modest way to helping people maintain a healthy weight.”

Under current UK law, all food and non-alcoholic drinks must display nutritional information. Alcoholic products are exempt from this and only need to show the strength of alcohol, the volume of the drink and any allergens contained in them.

For the new study, researchers looked at survey responses from a representative sample of adults in England, collected between November 2022 and January 2023.

They grouped survey respondents into non-drinkers, low-risk drinkers and hazardous drinkers based on a questionnaire about drinking habits, which asked about the amount of alcohol consumed as well as the impact of drinking on daily life. About three-quarters of drinkers were classed as low-risk, and one-quarter as hazardous.

More than half of respondents (58%) said calorie labeling would be useful, with 64% agreeing it should be provided in shops and supermarkets, and 52% saying it should be available in pubs, bars and restaurants. Drinkers were less likely than non-drinkers to support labeling being provided.

Asked to choose the correct 50kcal range for different alcoholic drinks, hazardous drinkers were consistently more accurate compared with non-drinkers and low-risk drinkers. If they were not accurate, they tended to overestimate rather than underestimate calorie content.

The researchers concluded that campaigns to improve public knowledge about calories in alcoholic drinks might be less effective at reducing consumption than seeking to change attitudes. Given that hazardous drinkers were more likely to overestimate calorie content, increasing knowledge could possibly encourage hazardous drinkers to drink more, the researchers said.

Co-author Professor Jamie Brown (UCL Behavioural Science & Health) said, “While these results are encouraging, it is unlikely that alcohol calorie labeling in isolation would contribute substantially to the UK Government’s strategy to reduce harms from alcohol and obesity. It might have a positive role as part of a more comprehensive approach, including regulation on advertising, availability, taxation and price.”

The researchers said increasing the availability of lower calorie drinks would be helpful, as this was the most common action in response to mandatory labeling and was particularly popular among hazardous drinkers.