The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) is calling for calorie labels to be introduced on alcoholic drinks to help people make healthier choices. The call follows research by the RSPH, which found that the majority of Britons are unaware that a glass of wine has the same number of calories as a doughnut. Over 80 per cent of the 2,117 adults surveyed incorrectly estimated the number of calories in a large glass of wine, while almost 90 per cent did not know the calorie content of a pint of lager.

Over two-thirds of respondents were in favour of the addition of calorie labels on alcohol. In an experiment conducted in a pub by RSPH, drinkers who were shown the calorie content of their drinks consumed 400 fewer calories on average than those who were oblivious to the information.