Industry Watch: Beer Industry Taps into Fitness

	Michelob low-carb beer Ad

Targeting health-conscious consumers, beer companies tapped into a new market, one that appeals to carb-counting drinkers and fitness folks alike. Low-carbohydrate beer is the latest craze among alcohol producers.

Campaigns for low-carb beer — like Anheuser-Busch's Michelob ULTRA — feature young, attractive men and women working out, running and playing tennis. At first glance, it appears they might be promoting a new health club or herbal supplement. In fact, brewers want a "healthy alternative" image, one that appeals to young drinkers, the physically active and Atkins dieters.

In a country more and more concerned with weight, the $56 billion domestic beer market has a new niche. While Anheuser-Busch was the first to launch a low-carb beer, other brewers have since picked up on the buzz surrounding ULTRA. Miller Brewing Company began adding a low-carb claim to Miller Lite print ads; Rolling Rock released its Rock Green Light low-carb beer in the fall of 2003; and Coors Brewing will launch, Aspen Edge, March 1, 2004.

Of course beer and fitness have nothing in common. Alcohol itself has more calories per gram than sugar (7 grams versus 4 grams), and calories from alcohol tend to be stored as fat in the abdomen.¹ Besides weight gain, alcohol can negatively affect fitness by: ²

• Interfering with cardio-respiratory fitness (heart and lungs
  work less efficiently);
• Directly damaging muscle groups;
• Increasing the risk of accidents and injuries;
• Damaging the immune system;
• Increasing the time needed to recover from injuries and illnesses;
• Causing dehydration, making exercise dangerous and unpleasant.

The beer industry's low-carb gambit is disturbing when the negative consequences associated with alcohol can be so great. The annual health care expenditures for alcohol-related problems amount to $22.5 billion. Far from improving consumers' fitness, this clever marketing tactic is destined only to improve the health of the beer industry's bottom line by increasing beer consumption.

¹www.odu.edu/af/monarchdining/nutrition4.htm
²athletics.ucsd.edu/strength/sports%20Nutrition.htm