• By Eric Daniel
• Published 01/31/2013

If you’re looking to shift a few pounds after the Christmas and New Year period and become one of the growing number of calorie counters out there looking to do exactly the same thing, then taking a look at how many calories you intake through alcohol alone is a great place to start.

Cutting down on alcoholic drinks can do the trick and serve double-duty by reducing your risk of cancer, according to a new report from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).

Many people underestimate the calorie content of alcohol, which the organization says makes up nearly 10 percent of total calorie intake among drinkers. One glass of wine is 178 calories, which the BBC reports is about the same as two chocolate cookies. A pint of lager is about three cookies.

To help draw attention to calorie content, the WCRF has produced an online alcohol-calorie counter to see how those drinks add up.

“The calories in alcoholic drinks account for a significant proportion of a drinker’s calorie consumption while providing little, if any, nutritional benefit,” Kate Mendoza, head of health information at WCRF, told the BBC. “Cutting down on drinking can have a big effect on weight loss or maintaining a healthy weight.”

In November, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. released findings that showed that American adults get almost as many empty calories from alcohol as they do from sugar-sweetened beverages. Alcoholic drinks account for about 5 percent of the calories adults consume, on average.

As everyone is looking to cut back on the booze a bit in January after the inevitable ‘heavy’ Christmas period, there is perhaps no better time to take a look at your alcohol consumption, feel healthier and lose a nice few pounds in the process!

About the Author : Eric Daniel is writing about a Calorie counter