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-Pour Another Tall One

-Bartenders pour more alcohol into shorter, wider glasses, study finds

THURSDAY, Dec. 25 (HealthDayNews) Be careful this holiday season - you may be drinking more than you suspect.

A University of Illinois study found drink servers often pour 30 percent more alcohol into short, wide glasses than they do into narrow, tall glasses. That was true for both veteran and novice bartenders.

That means that, even if you're limiting yourself to two drinks, you may end up consuming closer to three drinks if your alcohol is being served in a short, wide glass.

The researchers say this miscalculation is caused by a visual illusion called elongation.

"When we look at a glass, we tend to focus on its height rather than its width. That's why we over-pour into short, wide glasses," lead researcher Brian Wansink says in a prepared statement.

The findings appear in the December issue of the Journal of Consumer Research.

More information

Here's where you can learn more about how to reduce your drinking.

--Robert Preidt

SOURCE: Health Behavior News Service, news release, December 2003

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