Booze

[Greenbank]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7402652.stm

"I am fit and healthy so don't really consider my drinking to be a problem because there is no evidence.

More than 5 times the recommended weekly intake and completely in denial.

I'm struggling to keep within 21 units a week, but I haven't had a week over 30 units since I've actively been monitoring it.

[pcolbeck]

You have to ask if they deliberately picked an idiot for that article. I hope he doesn't work for my bank as I really don't want an economist who is stupid enough to believe that six or seven pints minimum a night is a healthy lifestyle dealing with my money.

On a more sensible note I do think that the 21 units for men is a tad low. That's one pint a day basically or one large glass of wine. They are simultaneously telling us that a couple of glasses of red wine a day is a good thing. So its a good thing to have precisely one large or too small glasses of wine a day then if once a week you have three that's a really bad thing ? And it doesn't depend on your size and body mass ? This all seems very simplistic to me.

[hellymedic]

Well done!

I'm not a teetotaller myself. I haven't a clue how much I drink.

[MSeries]

It has to be simplistic so everyone can work it out. I rarely go over 21 units per week. Just say no to drugs and alcohol.

[bomber]

I reckon I'm probably averaging 21 units a week, but at present I only drink once or twice a fortnight

[Jaded]

I'm currently teetotal during the week. I've had wild fluctuations in my intake over the years, from dry months to very, very wet weekends.

I'm well aware of what alcohol can do to the body and mind. My first ward round in the ERI involved chatting away to a yellow faced man who was telling us about how he'd die for a drink just now and what a great drinker he was.

As we moved away the consultant said "He'll be dead in a week".

I can feel the (after)effects drink has on me and I largely don't like it. However there's a balance between them and the earlier effects. Sometimes one side wins and sometimes the other side. Currently it is the other side winning.

Cheers!

[Regulator]

I'm now having one or two bottles every evening... of non-alcoholic beer.   

So no problem with me consuming over the recommended amount (for a change).

[rogerzilla]

I stopped being able to afford it years ago 

The hangovers are the main problem for me, so I suppose I average one or two drinks a week.

[numbnuts]

I don't drink

[Chris S]

Lordy! 112 units in a week? Try as I may, I can't do more than 40 .

This 21 units a week is a Complete Guess though isn't it? There isn't a "safe" amount - the risk of ill health goes up linearly with consumption, in much the same way as smoking does with Pack Years.

Moderation. If you eat/drink/smoke something day in/day out, or binge - then it's probably a Bad Thing.

[nuttycyclist]

I'm really struggling with the weekly unit allowance, and wonder if the stats are skewed by the fact that in the main the heavy drinkers also tend to be of the non-healthy couch potato smoking variety.

For example I thought I was very restrained yesterday.   One can mid afternoon whilst watching TV and sorting out some screws for the DIY.   One can early evening during the evening meal.  One can at bedtime whilst watching a late night movie.

That's 6.6 units in 24 hours, which is over double the daily allowance (should I break the weekly down into 7 chunks).  However if you allow for a unit to work off in an hour (as they say it should) then I was "dry" before opening each of those cans.


Yes a continual weekly consumption of 30 units is a bad thing if they're all drunk on a Friday night out.  But 2 cans of beer spread out over a night? That mounts up to 30 units a week and I really can't see that being harmful, especially when mixed with a healthy lifestyle of cycling and exercise (hey, it's not even enough to get tipsy on!)

[pcolbeck]

My thoughts exactly Nutty.

[Frenchie]

I don't drink

Same here; except water, milk and the odd juice and soft drink.

[bobb]

I thought they upped the recommended limit for men to 28 units a few years ago? Well, I know they did. Have they changed it back? Or is this article just rubbish?

Sometimes I go weeks on zero units per week. Sometimes I'll go a week on 21 units a day 

[nicknack]

"And if he continues drinking at this level he will have significant health problems before he is 40."

So where are my significant health problems? I'm 55 and easily matched that bloke's drinking at his age. Liver function always tests as ok. Cholesterol's a bit high, so was my Dad's and my Mum's is too. They didn't/don't drink. Current consumption is a bit variable, probably averages out to about 50.

[hellymedic]

"And if he continues drinking at this level he will have significant health problems before he is 40."

So where are my significant health problems? I'm 55 and easily matched that bloke's drinking at his age. Liver function always tests as ok. Cholesterol's a bit high, so was my Dad's and my Mum's is too. They didn't/don't drink. Current consumption is a bit variable, probably averages out to about 50.

If you are unlucky:
Heart problems
High blood pressure
Overweight
Vitamin deficiencies
Nerve problems
Alcohol withdrawal fits/shakes problems
Worsening of psoriasis
Porphyria

If you are lucky, nothing.

[nicknack]

"And if he continues drinking at this level he will have significant health problems before he is 40."

So where are my significant health problems? I'm 55 and easily matched that bloke's drinking at his age. Liver function always tests as ok. Cholesterol's a bit high, so was my Dad's and my Mum's is too. They didn't/don't drink. Current consumption is a bit variable, probably averages out to about 50.

If you are unlucky:
Heart problems
High blood pressure
Overweight
Vitamin deficiencies
Nerve problems
Alcohol withdrawal fits/shakes problems
Worsening of psoriasis
Porphyria

If you are lucky, nothing.

My luck must be in.  <fingers crossed smiley>

[Greenbank]

My luck must be in.  <fingers crossed smiley>

Good, I hope it continues that way.

The problem is that one of the biggest killers has no symptoms up until the heart attack begins.

Much like the other killer (smoking) which I gladly did for 12 years (and more than 20-a-day). No symptoms; I could still play 5-a-side football, and do a 200km cycle ride in under 10 hours, but yet I can't claim is wasn't going to lead to negative health problems.

[rogerzilla]

Some guys at my university went for the magical 100 pints in one week target.  I think a couple of them managed it.

[Gattopardo]

Some guys at my university went for the magical 100 pints in one week target.  I think a couple of them managed it.

Christ I remeber the 10 pints in a night target.

[MSeries]

In my first job we had a subsidised bar which was open for 2 hours on a lunchtime. The challenge was a gallon in that time and then if you managed that a gallon without relieving oneself. :-(

[Jaded]

I remember doing 10 pints in 2 hours. 

[Greenbank]

One pint per year was the birthday rule at university. Start at 11am, finish by the time you get thrown out of the Roxy or Cairo Jacks.

I managed both 19 and 21 fairly comfortably. (20th was in my year off earning more money and so not subject to the rule). I withdrew from my 3rd year before my 22nd (and I was back earning more money) and my 23rd was in the middle of my exams (a valid excuse not to attempt it).

The big week challenge was 168 units (i.e. one per hour). I managed it on Guinness alone (spirits are easy).

That was also the week I managed 3 curries in a day (3am from the night before, lunch time, pre-nightclub curry at 11pm).

[Thor]

I remember doing 10 pints in 2 hours. 

If you can remember it, you weren't there 

[bobajobrob]

One pint per year was the birthday rule at university.

Steady now!