Low-sugar alcoholic drinks ‘are luring young women into a false belief they contain less booze’

Alcoholic drinks labeled as low-sugar mislead women into thinking they’re healthy, a study suggests.

Researchers say packaging claims create a “health halo” effect, with consumers mistakenly believing they contain less alcohol than regular alcoholic beverages.

Drinkers were less likely to moderate their intake or adjust how much they ate or exercised to make up for the extra calories, the study suggests.

Obesity experts have called for full calorie labeling to empower consumers to make informed choices.

Excessive alcohol consumption can increase the risk of weight gain and chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

But scientists believe that many people misjudge the number of calories in drinks, with alcohol being a major contributor to the obesity crisis.

Scientists from the University of Melbourne recruited more than 500 women to test their perception of products claiming to be low in sugar. Half were shown images of low-sugar premixed drinks or a similar claim (pictured)

The other half of the participants looked at identical ‘regular’ alcoholic drinks (pictured). They were then asked to rate the drinks from 1 to 7 on a series of questions about their overall health

Scientists from the University of Melbourne recruited more than 500 women to test their perception of products claiming to be low in sugar.

Half were shown images of premixed drinks with a low sugar claim or similar and the other half looked at identical ‘regular’ products.

They were then asked to rate the drinks from 1 to 7 on a series of questions about their overall health.

Products with low sugar claims were rated as significantly lower in sugar, less harmful to health and more suitable for weight management, although there was no evidence to support the claims.

Despite the participants being informed that all products had an equivalent alcohol content, those with a low sugar claim were rated as significantly lower in alcohol, according to the findings published in the journal Alcohol and alcoholism.

The authors said, “Such claims have the potential to create a “health halo” that misleads consumers into seeing products that they portray as healthier than other options, which can increase consumption.

“Our findings show that low sugar claims on alcohol products can be misleading and support policy options to prohibit such claims on alcohol products and/or counter their effects, for example through health warning labels and/or mandatory energy labelling.”

Participants were asked questions such as: If you drank this product the next time you drink alcohol, how likely are you to do so.

‘A. Eating less than usual in one or more meals to compensate for the kilojoules/calories in this drink?

‘B. Exercise more than usual to make up for the calories in this drink

‘C. Eat low-calorie, low-fat, or low-sugar foods in one or more meals to offset the calories in this drink?’

Those who watched low-sugar claims were significantly less likely to eat less or exercise more compared to those who watched regular drinks, researchers found.

While most British pubs and restaurants have listed calorie counts on menus since April, successive governments have so far allowed the alcohol industry to circumvent the regulations.

A recent UK survey of 369 alcohol products, conducted by the Alcohol Health Alliance, found that only six percent showed the sugar content of their drinks, while four in ten listed calorie information on the bottle or can.

Professor Emma Boyland, of the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO), said one of the problems with alcohol is that it contains ’empty calories’ because they don’t lead to satiety – a feeling of fullness.

It can also be a stimulant and lead to poor judgment, leading people to drink and eat more of the wrong children.

Commenting on the research presented at this year’s International Congress on Obesity in Melbourne, she said there is a need for clearer nutrition labelling.

She said: ‘The findings suggest that the claims are misleading people because it implies an overall health of the product and people are not able to make informed judgments.

“If you’re led to believe it’s actually healthier than it is, that exacerbates an existing problem about how we quantify and consider the role of those products in maintaining a healthy weight.”