Study: People Consume More Calories When Drinking Alcohol

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – If you feel like you're eating more when you drink alcohol, you're probably right.

According to a study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, people consume more calories on days they drink than on days when they don't imbibe.

The study surveyed more than 1,800 people about their dietary intake over two days – one when they were drinking and one when they abstained from alcohol.

The team found that on days when the participants weren't drinking, men consumed about 2,400 calories and women ate around 1,700, but on "drinking days," both sexes consumed more calories. Men took in an additional 400, and women consumed about 300 more calories on average.

And while the study's authors say that the women's additional caloric intake could be explained by the consumption of the alcohol alone, men consumed at least 100-200 more calories from food.

Similarly, a previous study showed that both men and women consumed more fat and men were more likely to eat more meat and white potatoes during a boozy night out than on a day without alcohol.

So, what does all this mean for moderate drinkers?

The next time you consider downing a cheeseburger and fries with your beer or combating that hangover at the local greasy spoon, you might want to think again.

For more information, visit: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2013/03/27/ajcn.112.050161