Many Americans Consume Large Number of Calories From Alcohol, Study Finds

Alcohol accounts for a large number of calories consumed by many American adults, a new government study concludes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study found 19 percent of men and 6 percent of women take in more than 300 calories daily from alcoholic drinks.

About one-quarter of adults drink alcohol on any given day, USA Today reports. Those drinks account for about 16 percent of their daily caloric intake. On average, Americans consume 100 calories a day from alcoholic beverages: 150 calories for men, and 53 for women.

“A lot of people don’t think about the calories in the alcoholic beverages — it’s not a diet soda,” researcher Samara Joy Nielsen told the newspaper. A 12-ounce can of beer is 150 calories, about the same as a 12-ounce can of regular soda.”

Men ages 20 to 39 consumed the most calories from alcohol, while women older than 60 consumed the least.

According to the CDC, government guidelines recommend that people who drink alcohol do so in moderation, defined as one drink per day for women, and two drinks per day for men.