If you want to cut your alcohol consumption...
Skip the “light” beer and “skinny” cocktails. Because they encourage people to drink more! According to the journal Health Psychology, it’s just like eating “light” foods. We think - “Well, it’s a reduced-fat brownie, so I can have two.” It’s the licensing effect, where we’re so pleased about being virtuous, we give ourselves license - or permission - to indulge! But people having regular drinks, that aren’t low-cal, sip more slowly and end up ordering fewer rounds. So, if you’re watching your alcohol intake, skip the “light” beer and “low-cal” cocktails and just have the regular stuff.