Sorry to break it to you, but low sugar liquor is still bad for you.

New research to be presented at this year’s International Obesity Congress (Melbourne, October 18-22) and published in a journal alcohol and alcoholism We show that women can be misled by the ‘health halo’ effect of alcoholic beverages labeled as low-sugar, suggesting that compared to ‘regular’ alcoholic beverages, women are more likely to be They believe they have lower energy and are healthier. They’re also less likely to say they’ll adjust their diet and physical activity if they’re drinking these low-sugar alcoholic beverages. By Council Victoria, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, and colleagues.

Alcohol is energy dense and alcoholic products are the largest source of optional energy in the diet of Australian drinkers (approximately 16% of daily energy intake and approximately 1% of the 8% provided by any cake or muffin). twice as much). Excessive alcohol consumption can increase your risk of weight gain and chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. One-fifth of selected category alcohol products in the Australian market are characterized as ‘low alcohol’. sugar’ or other sugar-related claims. misleading consumers They may perceive products displaying them to be healthier than other options and increase their consumption. ”

The authors explain that there is currently no published data on calorie differences between low-sugar and non-claimed products in Australia, and this would be difficult to estimate with certainty. alcoholic products.While sugar content Alcohol, as a macronutrient, by definition contributes to the energy content of the drink. This is extra “discretionary” energy in the diet that is often not compensated for. says there is a problem with

In this study, 501 Australian women aged 18-35 were recruited through an opt-in online survey panel. Half of the participants were shown images of products with low-sugar or related claims, and half were shown the same products without any claims. Participants used six images of her of ready-to-drink (RTD) spirits drinks with a mixer if they had consumed these in the last 12 months, or cider drinks if they had consumed them in the last 12 months. did this. If participants consumed both, they were randomly assigned to one or the other.

Using a numeric rating scale from 1 to 7 for each outcome, we averaged the ratings participants gave to the six drinks. The authors found that products with low sugar claims were significantly lower in sugar (1.8 points on a 7-point scale), lower in kilojoules/energy (0.9 points), healthier (0.3 points), and less harmful to health. (0.3 points), more suitable for weight management (by 0.5 points). healthy diet (0.3 points) All findings were statistically significant over the same product without claims. Although participants were informed that all products (with and without low-sugar claims) had comparable alcohol content to standard drinks, the products with low-sugar claims contained more alcohol than the standard drink. was rated significantly lower (0.3 points out of 7). It is a no claim product.

The expected social approval associated with product consumption (that is, the level at which drinking such a drink helps participants feel socially accepted) and the hypothetical consumption of the product. intentions (the number of servings that participants will consume in the next two weeks if they will consume the product and it becomes available).

Participants who saw low-sugar claims were significantly less likely to try to compensate for the calories in these low-sugar products by changing or adjusting their dietary intake. physical activityThe authors asked, “How likely are you to take this product the next time you have alcohol? (b) …do more exercise than usual to compensate for the calories in this drink. (c) …do one or more meals to compensate for the calories. Eating low-calorie, low-fat, or low-sugar foods in the diet, how many calories does this drink have?” Looking at another perspective, participants who saw the unclaimed drink described the calories they would “normally” consume. were more likely to state that they adjusted their diet and activity habits to alcoholic beverage.

The authors conclude that “low sugar and related claims to alcohol products generalize from certain preferred attributes (low sugar) to global ratings of other attributes (low calorie, alcohol) and products (healthier) by consumers.” Generate a “Health Halo”. These claims may also affect post-consumption diet and activity behavior.

They said, “Our findings show that low-sugar claims in alcohol products can be misleading, and there is no need to ban such claims in alcohol products. We support policy options to counteract or counteract their impact, such as through labeling.”

The labeling of alcoholic products in Australia is currently under review by the regulator, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). Other jurisdictions, such as the UK, are considering such labeling as part of their national obesity strategy.

Jane Martin, President of the Obesity Association of Australia and New Zealand and executive manager of the Obesity Policy Coalition, said: Using claims that suggest these harmful products are better for consumers.

“FSANZ is currently reviewing alcohol labeling and this is an important opportunity to enact positive changes that benefit everyone. alcohol Introduce mandatory energy labeling.Clear and honest representation is required so that consumers can evaluate alcohol products You can make an informed purchase without being influenced by marketing claims. ”

Courtesy of the International Obesity Congress (ICO)