How your daily glass of white wine can pile on the pounds

A Department of Health survey of drinkers in London found a lack of knowledge about the calorific content of alcoholic drinks.

Almost half (47 per cent) of Londoners did not know there were 130 calories in a small glass of white wine - the equivalent of a packet of crisps.

A spokesman for the DoH said it means that over a year the average wine drinker consumes the equivalent of 38 extra roast beef dinners or 184 bags of crisps.

Two large glasses of wine would put a woman over the recommended daily limit for alcohol consumption and provide her with nearly a fifth of her daily calorie allowance.

He added that a person who drinks five pints of beer a week would add 44,200 extra calories a year - the equivalent of 221 doughnuts.

In London, 44 per cent of drinkers said they eat more than normal when they have been drinking, with almost a quarter ordering extra snacks at the pub, and 22 per cent getting a kebab on the way home.

The survey also showed drinkers are more likely to choose an unhealthy breakfast the day after a drinking session.

Heather Caswell, of the British Nutrition Foundation, added: "Most people would baulk at consuming a full glass of single cream, but wouldn't think twice about a couple of pints. But the calorie content is similar and, 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."

The health department released the figures as part of its Know Your Limits campaign. The Government recommends women should eat 2,000 calories a day and men should eat 2,500.

Health Minister Phil Hope said: "Regularly drinking more than our recommended daily limits can have a knock-on effect on our health, including an expanding waistline.

"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 and eat a healthy diet."