Beers and bellies

Well, it's that time of the year when catalogs and stores start bringing in their bikinis and swim shorts and people all over America start to diet in preparation for "swim-suit season." For college students, this "swim-suit season" is rapidly approaching as Spring Break falls mid-March and is only one week away. Interestingly, what else is Spring Break known for? Yes, you know... going to the beach, hanging out with friends, and DRINKING!

As much as people like to drink to have fun, they often forget the additional calories alcohol adds to the waistline when exclaiming, "How am I putting on so much weight?" Why else is it called a "beer belly" other than the fact that excessive alcohol consumption is associated with weight gain? Other than the alcohol itself, many people find that they like to snack when drinking, and as alcohol reduces your inhibitions, it may be harder to avoid that bag of potato chips.

So, other then these additional snacking tendencies, how does alcohol add to your waistline? Alcohol does not have fat, nor does it have any nutrition value, yet it does have calories, and a significant amount of those indeed! If you were to log what you eat and detail your dietary intake by calories per gram of carbohydrate, protein or fat consumed, you would find that carbohydrates and protein are four calories per gram, and fat is nine calories per gram; you may also be surprised to find out that one gram of alcohol is equal to seven calories (keep in mind that one 1 1/2 ounce shot contains 14 grams of alcohol).

It is important to note that 12 ounces of beer has the same amount of alcohol as five ounces of wine and 1 1/2 ounces of "hard liquor," and the effect of all three on your body is the same, so don't try to "fool" your body by having a beer rather than a glass of wine.

To compare the caloric content of some of the most popular alcoholic beverages, take a look at the chart below:

12 oz. beer = 150 calories

12 oz. "light" beer = 100 calories

5 oz. "Bloody Mary" = 125 calories

3.5 oz. Daiquiri = 125 calories

8 oz. Gin & Tonic = 155 calories

3 oz. Whiskey Sour = 122 calories

8 oz. Margarita = 300 calories

3.5 oz. Martini = 140 calories

5 oz. Wine = 105 calories

...and are these the serving sizes you typically consume?

Also keep in mind that different "proofs" of alcohol contain differing calories, those with higher "proofs" containing more calories. Don't forget the "mixers" used in making your alcoholic beverage -- juices, sugars and daiquiri mixers are not without their own amount of calories! On the subject of "mixers," it has currently become popular to mix alcohol with the energy drink "RedBull" or with the traditional "Gatorade." Be very careful when combining alcohol with either of these drinks; for one, RedBull is a "stamina" drink, which is precisely why many people choose to mix with this. But, for this reason, the affects of alcohol are often masked so that you can "last longer," which leads to more of an opportunity for alcohol poisoning. When combining Gatorade with alcohol, keep in mind that the purpose of Gatorade is to provide fast-acting sugars to your bloodstream for increased re-fueling of muscles; it does not, however, make an alcoholic beverage a "healthy" drink.

In addition, calories from alcohol are used as energy even before stored fat. Regardless of calories, everyone's body metabolizes alcohol differently; therefore do not try to "keep up with" others as they drink through the night. Also, of importance is the fact that, due to physiology, women can not metabolize alcohol as well as men, making them "feel" the effects of alcohol sooner and giving them higher blood alcohol concentrations than that of men, even after drinking the SAME amount of alcohol. Most people are slightly impaired after only one or two drinks -- be mindful of this when you are drinking, as you may tend to make decisions you may later regret.

If you are watching your waistline, do some simple calculations. For example, only three glasses of wine a week add up to about 315 calories, or a 30 minute jog on the treadmill, and a single 12 ounce beer a day adds up to 1050 extra calories per week, which (if not accounted for with exercise) can add up to about 15 pounds of "beer belly" per year! And we used to think that Spring Break was not long enough...