Is Drinking To Excess Only At The Weekend A Health Problem?

[dave50]

If someone drinks for example 4 to 5 bottles of wine in total over a weekend, that is Friday to Sunday but then drinks nothing at all Monday to Thursday, does that allow the body to recover from the weekend binge?

[aelmpvw]

it's a bit like the smoking enigma ... some people can overindulge for a lifetime without showing any adverse effects

[ronnietoon]

it depends on many things age,genetic makeup, gender etc.

[Iluvspikey]

Binge drinking is a problem,, but I'd hardly call 4-5 bottle of wine a binge spread over a weekend, especially with food. 4-5 bottles a night is a different matter.

[Booldawg]

the medical profession tends to advocate drinking less more often could well be healthier than large amounts once/twice a week.

[factor-fiction]

Sounds excessive to me- I'd call that binge drinking

[RATTER15]

I would call it binge drinking as well.

[ronnietoon]

to answer your question if you average the 4-5 bottles at 9 units each your way over uk government guidelines.

[bednobs]

yes dave, that's a health problem

[joggerjayne]

I wouldn't say 4/5 bottles over a whole weekend constituted a binge.

[bednobs]

considering that's 50 units in a 2 day period, i would. Govt guidelines are 28 units n a week for men i think

[joggerjayne]

I'm curious ...

The Govenrment's recommended weekly limit ...

What research or studies were those limits based on?

Is the answer ... "None at all. They are arbitrary and meaningless."

Or will there be an instant link posted to some detailed research to support the guidelines?

Like I say ... I'm curious.

[sunny-dave]

Completely arbitrary JJ - originally (perhaps urban mythically) based on a Minister of Health after the first world war working out what he drank himself, halving the amount and deciding that was enough for the working/drinking classes ...

[joggerjayne]

Yeah, it was a slightly unfair question, because I knew the answer. The answer is that it's completely arbitrary. There was no evidence that 15 units was any better than 5, or any worse than 25.

But they did realise that the public like to accept things as being true ...

(like I am only claiming the minimum expenses for my second home to enable me to serve my constituents)

[joggerjayne]

Wrong way round. Should say ...

There was no evidence that 15 units was any worse than 5, or any better than 25

[mccfluff]

if you count friday/sat/sun then that's over three days rather than two, so just over a bottle a night.

if that was drunk over the whole evening, slowly with food then i wouldn't call it binge drinking. if it's a neck as much as you can till your drunk thing, then yes i'd call that binging

[sunny-dave]

[ puts sensible hat on ]

There is [i some good evidence that at least two or three alcohol free days a week is beneficial to health.

There is also reasonable evidence that a [i] small ] glass of (preferably red) wine taken with a meal can reduce your chances of vascular events - including mini strokes and vascular dementia.

[sunny-dave]

why do I bother trying with italics ... grrrr

[Sparkles62]

Going by what the Dr told Me sparkles, I would say that is binge drinking good style.
About 6 years ago we decided that we would stop drinkng in the week completely and only drink at the weekends, Mr S. had 5/6 cans on a fri and the same on a sat and the Dr said that is binge drinking and he should spread it out through the whole week.
We honestly thought that we were being sensible by not drinking all week, but it seems not, in the eyes of the medical proffession.

[Sparkles62]

//what the Dr told Mr Sparkles //

[Ronnie10]

4-5 bottles of wine over a weekend is excessive. An alcoholic might use the same argument that all they have is 3 bottles of vodka but it's spread out over the week. The fact is it's still a large amount that your liver, lipid values, heart and brain have to deal with. I know of a few people that have died from alcohol abuse by having similar amounts.

Are those that say "As long as it's with food it's okay" in the medical profession? Does drinking alcohol with food negates any damage by magically bypassing the liver and other organs? I think not.

To the poster who lives their life by "Studies" etc.. rather than common sense, i'll bet anything that you're a drinker as they all want to protect their precious drug and validate their drinking.

Here have a read of this

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmsctech/writev/1536/ag22.htm