We've all been there: a few drinks with friends turns into a bottle of wine, then next thing you're doing shots in the club, and then suddenly you're chowing down on a McDonalds Big Mac meal with extra nuggets.
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It's the curse of the 'drunchies': an all-consuming hunger that appears with great ferocity in states of intoxication, leading to that end-of-night drunken feed.
But learning about the calorie count in your fourth meal of the day/first of the next, might just be enough to deter you.
In a new study, Rehabs.com surveyed almost 6000 Americans about their post-boozing eating. While some of their takeaway joints were US places like Taco Bell and Waffle House, feel free to sub in that Burger Fuel/Kebab combo in town at 3am.
The study found that those who chow down on Mexican after a night of drinking consume around 700 calories worth of burritos, nachos and quesadillas - with men eating an average of 730 and women eating just 15 calories less than that.
At McDonald's, the average woman consumes 750 calories, while men consume 826 calories in Big Macs, McFlurries and fries.
That's on top of the alcohol, which is a calorific load in itself.
The daily caloric needs of women are about 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day, while men need between 2,000 and 3,000 calories. This means that in these post-drinking scenarios, people may consume more than half of their recommended daily calories.
So why do we get such intense cravings for junk, leading to waking up surrounded by wrappers and regret?
A 2015 study in medical journey Obesity (ouch) revealed our taste buds are impacted when drunk, so food does actually taste better. And according to a study published in Nature Communication by the Francis Crick Institute, alcohol triggers false "starvation alarms" in your brain, which makes you believe you are hungry.
So maybe check yourself before you upsize that combo at 3am this weekend. But who am I kidding: you're not going to remember this article after a night of tequila shots.
Newshub.
