SUMMER evenings make it difficult to resist a drink.
And now a survey has revealed which cities find it hardest to resist temptation – and throw back seven drinks a week, at least.
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DrinkWell, a reduced calorie alcohol retailer, surveyed Brits about their drinking habits over the summer.
They found 38 per cent of respondents have at least two alcoholic drinks every evening during the six weeks of summer holiday.
This would suggest almost four in ten Brits are exceeding the recommended units-per-week.
Two large wines or two high-strength pints are six units, which is 42 units a week – well over the advised 14.
A staggering 80 per cent of Brits aged 18-25 have at least one drink every day.
Just under half (49 per cent) of those aged 55-64 do.
Two thirds of beer drinkers admit to drinking at least one cold bottle every night, with a quarter (24 per cent) drinking more than five beers every day.
Booziest cities
When looking at what percentage of people have at least one drink a night, Bristol came top with a whopping 81 per cent.
London was second (75 per cent) and Manchester a close third (74 per cent).
Scottish cities Glasgow and Edinburgh were further down the list. But those in Liverpool and Belfast were the least likely to have a drink every night.
Still, at least half do.
The full list is:
- Bristol – 81%
- London – 75%
- Manchester – 74%
- Cardiff – 68%
- Norwich – 66%
- Birmingham – 63%
- Southampton – 63%
- Leeds – 62%
- Newcastle – 62%
- Nottingham – 62%
- Sheffield – 61%
- Glasgow – 59%
- Edinburgh – 59%
- Liverpool – 52%
- Belfast – 52%
Boozy belly
DrinkWell warned that summer drinking habits can lead to weight gain because it is empty calories – meaning there is no nutritional value.
More than a fifth of those surveyed (23 per cent) admitted that they always put on weight during the summer.
Almost half of at-home drinkers admitted that wine is their drink of choice, which high in both calories and sugars.
A small glass of wine is between 90 and 100 calories, and there are six servings (125ml) in one bottle (750ml).
Meanwhile, “beer belly” is no joke. The carbs and calories in pints do nothing for the waistline.
Generally, a pint of one of the UK’s favourite lagers is around 230 calories.
Small swaps
Commenting on the findings, nutritionist Katie Chaplin said: “It’s so easy to reduce your calorie consumption by making simple swaps and understanding calories in versus calories out.
“And yes you can still enjoy yourself, eating lovely food and alcohol.
“There are so many options available today, that drinking full-sugar options really should be a thing of the past.”
She said swapping to a low calorie wine could save 172 calories per large glass.
Tom Bell, founder of DrinkWell, said: “What many people do not release is that you can still enjoy alcohol, including wine and beer, without having to worry about the calories.
“We all understand that watching our alcohol intake is a good idea, and that we should limit sugar in our diets where we can.
“However, when it comes to the calories in alcoholic drinks, we find that the alcohol itself is often wrongly blamed for the calorie intake, when in fact a lot of it is caused by sugars.”