Consumer Federation of America (CFA) has a new Alcohol Facts chart out that compares the calorie content of alcoholic beer, wine, and hard liquor. CFA produced it to fill the regulatory gap in labeling of alcoholic beverages–they are regulated by an arm of the Treasury Department (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms) and viewed as revenue generators, not something that might affect health. It’s amusing to see where the calories are…

I subscribe to Advertising Age because its writers are right on top of food trends, the latest of which appears to be encouraging people to eat more often. Fast food chains, it seems, are pushing “Linner,” the eating occasion between lunch and dinner. Take a look at what the suggestions are and take a guess at the calories. This must derive from Taco Bell’s Fourth Meal idea of a year or so ago. You know the rule: the more times a day you eat, the more calories you eat. Actually, the kicker on this one is the link with alcohol–the more times a day you eat, the more beer (or whatever) you drink. Enjoy!

My friend Michele Simon, author of Appetite for Profit, is now working for the Marin Institute, which describes itself as “alcohol industry watchdog.” She sends along a copy of the Institute’s new report on alcohol and energy drinks. In case you were wondering what’s in all those energy and sports drinks, why manufacturers want to add alcohol to them, and what their hazards are, especially to young adults, check this out. I think the drinks taste pretty bad on their own and the alcohol covers the taste, but this report lays out how the manufacturers deliberate target young adults for marketing campaigns that suggest mixing them with alcohol. The report covers the other ingredients in these drinks, things like guarana, ginseng, and–my favorite–taurine, an amino acid essential for cat reproduction.