Alcohol adds calories too

Soft drinks face much of the flak in terms of calories, but the hard stuff isn’t far behind in the United States and that means it must be ahead in many other countries.

The US Government’s latest National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey interviewed 11,000 people between 2007 and 2010. It found that soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks contributed 6% of average adult calories and alcohol accounted for 5%.

Men consume an average 150 calories from alcohol per day, mainly from beer, and women 53 calories, split equally between beer, wine and spirits.

An average 12 ounce can of beer contains 150 calories, a 12 ounce can of cola 140 calories and a glass of wine 100 calories.

It’s curious, therefore, that the US Government is planning to exempt alcoholic beverages from regulations requiring calorie counts on restaurant menus.