Tag Archives: Alcohol

A PhD study carried out in three pubs by students from Bristol University looked the effect of straight and curved glasses on beer consumption in three pubs over two weekends. And guess what?

Excessive alcohol drinking is a major public health concern and anything that can help control alcohol intake attracts interest – even a PhD study carried out in three pubs by students from Bristol University.

They studied the effect of straight and curved glasses on beer consumption in three pubs over two weekends. The pubs using straight-sided glasses reported lower takings, indicating less consumption. This was consistent with previous laboratory findings that showed participants drunk at a slower rate from straight glasses.

They also found that people given beer in a glass showing measurements of a quarter, half and three quarters had slower drinking times (10.3 mins) compared to the non-marked group (9.1 mins).

With a pint of beer (4.0%) providing 2.3 units of alcohol and 183 calories, anything that encourages moderation helps… Remember men should not regularly exceed 3-4 units a day, and women 2-3 units. Your pharmacist can give you more advice if you need it.

Almost 90 per cent of people in England still don’t associate drinking alcohol with an increased risk of cancer, according to Cancer Research UK.

Drinking alcohol is linked to an increased risk of seven different cancers – liver, breast, bowel, mouth, throat, oesophageal and laryngeal – but when people were asked: “Which, if any, health conditions do you think can result from drinking too much alcohol?” only 13 per cent mentioned cancer.

The survey also highlighted a lack of understanding of the link between drinking alcohol and the risk of developing certain types of cancer. While, when prompted, 80 per cent said they thought alcohol caused liver cancer, only 18 per cent were aware of the link with breast cancer. In fact alcohol causes 3,200 breast cancer cases each year compared to only 400 cases of liver cancer.

The new alcohol guidelines which came out in January make clear that there is no level of drinking which can be considered ‘safe’ from risks. So be sensible!

Men’s Health Week recently took place Since men are more likely to smoke, drink alcohol to hazardous levels and be overweight or obese the focus is on leading a healthy lifestyle.

The sad fact is that one in five men don’t make it to retirement age. The biggest single cause of death in men is cancer, and 75% of premature deaths from coronary heart disease among men.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is vital for avoiding these sorts of diseases, yet men are more likely than women to smoke and drink alcohol at hazardous levels. Over 65% of men are overweight or obese. Participation in activity amongst men declines with age: 83% of men aged 16-24 met the recommendations for physical activity, compared with 57% aged 65-74.

Think about this next time you grumble about the failing NHS. Are you part of the problem?

https://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/mens-health-week-2015-why-healthy-living