Drinkers misunderstand risk of low-carb/lower-alcohol drinks
10 June 2011
Psychologists say the rapid rise in popularity of low-carbohydrate beer, and lower-alcohol and lower-calorie wine, poses a community health risk.
Many people believe low-carb beer is "healthier" than full-carbohydrate beer, despite it having the same alcohol content as regular beer, and "alarmingly" a survey shows some people consume more beer when drinking this variety, the psychologists from Deakin University, Melbourne, wrote in a letter to the Medical Journal of Australia (2011; 194: 614-5).
And while lower-alcohol, lower-calorie wines, if consumed to replace regular wine in the same quantity, could offer a community health benefit; if consumed instead of soft drinks or water, or consumed in larger quantities than regular wine in the belief that they are healthier, could represent a community health threat, they said.
The marketing of health benefits for products lower in alcohol or calories was "potentially insidious".
Last Reviewed: 10 June 2011
- 1. McKenzie SP, Leslie ER, Miller PG. Lower-alcohol, lower-calorie wines: harm reduction or harm production? [letter]. Med J Aust 2011; 194: 614-5. http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/194_11_060611/letters_060611_fm-5.html (accessed Jun 2011).
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