Drinking Booze Will Make You Just As Fat As Drinking Soda

First energy drinks will kill you, now your boozy nightcap will make you fat. There's just no winning today. 

The Associated Press reports on a new government study that shows Americans get nearly the same amount of "empty calories" from alcohol as they do from soda. Americans get 6 percent of their daily calories from soda, and alcohol sits just below that at 5 percent of daily calories — yikes. The average amount of calories totals to about 100 calories per day. For guys, that equals out to about 150 calories per day (the same amount as a Budweiser), and for ladies that equals out to about 50 calories (or half a glass of wine). And it was men ages 20 to 39 that consumed the most calories from alcohol per day, at 174 calories. To put that in perspective, a can of soda is about 50 calories. 

The problem, the researchers say, is that people aren't cognizant of how many calories are in their drinks. Said study author Samara Joy Neilsen to HealthDay, "Beverage calories count for adults... We have forgotten that, and not examined what beverages are contributing to caloric intake among adults... Be aware of all of your calories consumed for the day including coffee and tea, sugar-sweetened beverages, and alcohol." Where's that water bottle, anyway?