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If you are on a diet to lose weight and your dietician advises against drinking wine or alcohol, he or she might be thinking of your saving the empty calories in wine but inadvertently cautioning you to stay away from binge eating and the junk food intake. A survey conducted recently says that one reaches a tipping point after drinking more than three large glasses of wine which may make them consume about 6,300 extra calories in the following 24 hours. The extra calories could lead to gaining about 900g a week.
The survey conducted on 2,042 people noted that about half (51%) of those who drank wine or alcohol said crossing the threshold had made them binge on fast food. Half the people said drinking impacted their food choices and they had cancelled physical activities the day after drinking more than 3 glasses. On the night, they had consumed about 2,829 calories extra in food and 1,476 extra calories in drink, the survey said. The following day, they consumed an average of 2,051 extra calories. Part of the reason for high calories was the urge to eat junk foods like Chips, followed by pizza, kebabs and hamburgers.
The survey is by no means scientific but does give the insight into drinking beyond the limits of moderation. In fact, when some people tell me they do not imbibe wine only because they feel the extra calories would add to their weight I tend to correct them that it is not the calories in wine (one 125 mL glass of white wine has about 90 calories whereas the red equivalent has about 110-120-depending upon the alcohol content which gives calories to the wine) and a couple of glasses of wine are more beneficial than the extra intake. You have to watch out for the calories in the extra food you may end up eating with wine.
Dr Jacquie Lavin, head of nutrition and research at Slimming World says alcohol loosens self-control; people who had consumed more alcohol tended to eat at a greater rate and for longer. "Alcohol makes the food even more rewarding. It tastes good and feels even better than it would do normally," she says, according to the report in Telegraph
Bridget Benelam, nutritionist at the British Nutrition Foundation, said: "The survey is very interesting. But it is a survey and not a scientific study, but adding that the survey confirmed a link between alcohol and obesity. "It is useful as well as the hard science, to be aware of what people are thinking in the real world, to get messages out there."
Excess calorie intake can lead to being overweight and obese which increases your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.
The survey was conducted by YouGov and commissioned by Slimming World which has called on the UK government to highlight the link between alcohol and obesity. The results could thus be prejudiced against wine and alcoholic beverages.
This reaffirms our advice once again to stick to a maximum intake of 2-3 standard glasses of wine for men and 1-2 glasses for women every day. Please check with your doctor in case of doubt or conflict in your mind-editor |