Drinking is the same as gorging on junk food, experts reveal

CHRISTMAS party over­indulgence will hurt your waistline just as much as your head, with new analysis showing that ­drinking is the equivalent of a junk food binge.

Alcohol can have the same or more kilojoules than junk food. Picture: Tim Carrafa

CHRISTMAS party over­indulgence will hurt your waistline just as much as your head, with new analysis showing that ­downing a few boozy drinks is the equivalent of going on a junk food binge.

A Cancer Council investigation into the hidden kilojoules in alcoholic drinks reveals some of the most ­popular have the same levels as a slice of pizza or Mars Bar.

Premixed spirits are the worst offenders with more than 1000kJ in each drink, while the 875kJ in a bottle of cider is the same as a Krispy Kreme doughnut.

Even those sinking a single stubby might as well tuck into a deep-fried dim sim as far as their waistline is concerned.

Dietitian and LiveLighter campaign manager Alison McAleese said many people do not realise alcohol is high in kilojoules and can lead to weight gain, compounding their risk of cancer.

“Just one can of rum and cola or vodka and citrus ­contains around 1000kJ — if you’re having four or more of these on a night out, you’re adding a whopping 4000kJs to your diet. That’s almost half the daily intake of the ­average Australian adult,” Ms McAleese said.

“To put it into perspective, 4000kJs is the equivalent of eating either 20 chicken nuggets, 12 chocolate Paddle Pop ice-creams, three and a half cheeseburgers or five bowls of Froot Loops with milk. Most people wouldn’t dream of eating such an excessive amount of junk food, yet many would easily drink the equivalent on a night out.”

The Cancer Council study found that drinking one stubby of beer a day will add about 5kg of weight a year.

However, Cancer Council Victoria’s Craig Sinclair said three out of five Victorian adults still drink at levels that put them at risk of long-term harm.

“People who drink more than two standard drinks a day are risking more than just weight gain in the long-term,” Mr Sinclair said. “There is strong evidence that alcohol is linked to cancer of the mouth, throat, oesophagus, stomach, liver, bowel and ­female breast.

“More than 3200, or 2.8 per cent, of the cases of cancer in Australia in 2010 were attributed to alcohol consumption and 3900 to overweight or obesity.”

For more tips and information visit www.cutyourcancerrisk.org.au/kjs-in-alcohol