As beverage and drink label reform continues to be a topic of immense discussion amongst manufacturers, distributors, vendors and consumers around the world, new avenues of exploration and dialogue have found their way into the social forum. Of recent interest to industry insiders and advocacy groups is the question of whether or not caloric content should be incorporated into alcoholic beverage labels.
In the United Kingdom, this issue may be somewhat more pressing, given the fact that alcohol consumption rates here are markedly higher than many regions of the world. Pub culture, while a lively and vibrant element of British life, leads many individuals to increased alcohol consumption. Given the fact that many of these beverages contain large amounts of calories, it should come as no surprise that the waistlines of many Britons continues to expand.
Although legislation does not yet exist dictating that calorie labels should be included on alcoholic drinks, a few simple steps can be taken by concerned consumer in order for them to ensure that they are not taking in calories that may hurt them later.
One of the most surefire ways of regulating caloric consumption in alcoholic beverages is simply to measure and restrict how much you are actually drinking. Although not every beverage is likely to contain nutritional information related to caloric content, simply limiting ones self to a conservative amount of beer, wine or cocktails on a daily basis will likely lead to positive results.
Those individuals indulging in sweet cocktails are at a much higher risk for excessive caloric consumption, as these drinks often contain high levels of sugars. Again, moderation is the best tool for success. Establishing a hard limit of just one or two drinks may help stave off unwanted pounds.
Hopefully, this information will help individuals make informed decisions next time they stop in at the pub, regardless of whether or not drink labels give them the information they need to make healthy decisions. More information regarding drink label legislation, chemical label legislation and the possible real-world outcomes of such policies will likely be discussed at length in the upcoming months.
