Most women and men overestimate calorie content of beer
Most men and women overestimate the calorie content of beer.
That's the result from new research on behalf of the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), which found that only one in five people correctly guessed the calorie content of beer.
Some 74% of women overestimated the calorie content of the drink, while 60% of men also guessed that it was higher than it really was.
The ComRes survey also found that women appeared to be more receptive than men to the idea of drinking beer at 2.8% abv - a new, lower strength beer option that attracts lower duty than higher-strength beers.
Many beer drinkers (30%) also say that they would now consider lower-alcohol beer as an ideal drink for a hot summer's day.
Those from Scotland (79%) and the South-east (73%) are significantly more likely to overestimate the calorie content of beer than those in North of England (60%). In fact, those from the North are more likely to know the calorie content of beer, with more than a quarter (28%) getting the figure right.
Meanwhile, only a quarter of adults correctly guessed the calorie content of a glass of wine.
The correct calorie counts of a typical glass of wine or beer are:
â- A half pint (284ml) of 4% abv lager: 96 calories
â- A 175ml glass of 12.5% red wine: 119 calories
â- A 175ml glass of 12.5% white wine: 131 calories
Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, comments: "If you're trying to cut down on calories and keep track of units during the UK's summer of celebration, beer in moderation, particularly lower-strength beer, is a great option."
By Neil Gerrard
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