Rotherham women urged to drink sensibly this Christmas

WOMEN in Rotherham are being urged to get their facts straight about units and alcohol use this Christmas, in a campaign to raise awareness of recommended safer drinking limits.The advice from the Safer Rotherham Partnership is to stick to your daily recom
WOMEN in Rotherham are being urged to get their facts straight about units and alcohol use this Christmas, in a campaign to raise awareness of recommended safer drinking limits.

The advice from the Safer Rotherham Partnership is to stick to your daily recommended units—men should not regularly drink more than three to four units of alcohol a day and women should not exceed two to three units a day.

 Anyone wanting to find out more about alcohol, safe unit recommendations and how they can make 2010 a new year with a healthier lifestyle that includes cutting down on how much alcohol they are drinking can get a free pack by texting, 'ALCOFACTS' followed by your name and address to 82010 or visiting www.callitanight.co.uk/alcofacts.

The average wine drinker in England now consumes around 2,000 calories from wine alone each month, new figures out today show.

Over a year, this is equivalent to 38 extra roast beef dinners or almost 184 bags of crisps.

Two-fifths of women surveyed by the Government's Know Your Limits campaign admitted they didn't know that a glass of white wine has the same calorie content as a bag of crisps.

Two large glasses of white wine not only put a woman over the recommended daily limit for alcohol consumption but—at approximately 370kcals—also provide her with nearly a fifth of her daily calorie allowance.

Extra calories don't just come from the alcohol consumed.

More than one in three drinkers admit they are likely to eat more than they usually would or ditch the healthy diet when drinking above their recommended daily limit and this is especially true at Christmas.

About 19 per cent regularly opt for a takeaway to grab a pizza, burger, bag of chips or kebab when drinking more than two pints of beer or two glasses of wine.

Almost two-thirds of drinkers who normally eat a bowl of cereal or muesli for breakfast ditch it in favour of less healthy breakfasts to help them through their hangover.

To settle their stomachs after drinking more than the recommended daily limits, over a quarter turn to a fry-up, bacon or sausage sandwich, or takeaway breakfast.

Mel Howard, Drug and Alcohol Co-ordinator said: "It's not only the calories in the drinks themselves that can help to pile on the pounds, we're also more likely to eat fatty foods when we've had one too many.

"To avoid piling on the pounds, we should try to drink within the recommended limits, eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly."

"Over time, excess alcohol intake is likely to lead to weight gain.

"Sticking to sensible drinking habits and keeping to the recommended units will not only help keep off those extra pounds but will also help decrease your risk of serious health problems, such as some types of cancer and liver disease."