December 17, 2007

Prof: Mull over calories in wine, beer before toasting the New Year

"The overconsumption syndrome in this country is not only about food, but alcohol's portion sizes as well," says Julia Chester, an assistant professor of psychological sciences. "There is a lack of knowledge about standard drink sizes, and that leads to consuming too many calories.

"People do not know how to assess how much they are drinking, and when they have two drinks on a Friday night, it may be four or five because there are multiple doses in one giant cup," she says. "Two 44-ounce servings are very different from two 12-ounce servings."

The standard drink size is 12 ounces for beer, 5 ounces for wine and 1.5 ounces of 80-proof alcohol, says Chester, who studies the role of genetics in alcohol withdrawal and how stress influences alcohol consumption. Consuming alcoholic beverages from the start of the evening until the new year is toasted can be the caloric equivalent of eating an extra meal.

"During the holiday season, and especially on New Year's Eve, alcohol is a common part of the celebration," she says. "People are likely to overindulge when there is an open bar or holiday specials for drinks. It may be a good deal for your wallet, but it's costly for your body."

In addition, intoxication and hangover can impair judgment and disrupt blood sugar balances, which leads to impaired ability to regulate calorie intake. When this is combined with an abundance of available holiday treats, too many calories are consumed, she says.

Of course, too many calories are not the only concern, Chester says. Harmful drinking - exceeding more than one drink per hour and/or more than four to five drinks in one day - can damage the brain and liver and lead to alcohol dependence.

Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, (765) 494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu

Source: Julia Chester, (765) 494-6863, jchester@psych.purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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