Do You Need a Beer Diet?

At a time of year when most of us are rethinking our food and exercise choices, it may be time to take a look at your drinking too. Most of us are aware of the impact that drinking has on our waistlines. Beer, even light beers, pack a pretty significant caloric punch. Wine and liquor are no better. But aside from the fact that your drinking may be keeping you from getting into those new jeans, there are some other significant health and relationship effects that might have you saying its time to change those drinking habits.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has launched a new website called Rethinking Drinking which highlights the potential harm and offers a new perspective on problem drinking. While we've all embraced the studies that suggest light drinking can have a positive impact on your health, the NIAAA shares some sobering statistics on the potential dangers for heavy or "at risk" drinkers.

You may already know the toll that drinking can take on your liver but it can also increase your risk of some cancers, heart disease, diabetes, and sexually transmitted diseases (as the result of poor choices while drunk). Nearly 50% of sexual assaults and 40% of fatal car crashes involved alcohol and the potential for depression and relationship distress goes up with the amount of alcohol you consume on a regular basis. And then of course you have the risk of addiction and all the physical, social, and psychological effects that come with that. Now you may be saying to yourself, these are the concerns for heavy drinkers and I am not a heavy drinker. According to new guidelines, it turns out that you just might be.

Using the NIAAA's guide, the majority of American adults at some point in their life are drinking an amount that would constitute "at-risk" or "heavy" drinking. Most of us that drink socially may be surprised to see just how easy it is to move from low-risk to high-risk in the course of one evening out. Just one night of heavy drinking in one month raises the likelihood that you may develop alcoholism to 1 in 5; and one night of heavy drinking a week changes those odds to 1 in 3. The good news is that NIAAA and other researchers are suggesting that for many people there is no need to cut out alcohol all together. For those who are not dealing with addiction or dependency, following a low-risk drinking plan is all you need to minimize the potential health risks and reduce the likelihood of social or psychological effects of excessive drinking.

So how can you determine whether you need to cut back? If you answer yes to any of these questions, it's probably time to cut back or seek some additional support.

¨ Do you drink more than 4 drinks on any day (3 if you are a woman)?

¨ Do you drink more than 14 drinks a week (7 if you are a woman)?

¨ Are you under the legal drinking limit? The impact of alcohol on teenagers is much different than it is for those in adulthood.

¨ Do you find yourself drinking more than you planned to or wanted to?

¨ Have you tried to cut back on your drinking but not been able to stick with it?

¨ Do you black out or have trouble remembering what you did when you drink?

Answering yes to any of these questions is a good indication that you may want to take a look at your drinking. Whether it's time to seek professional help or you just need to go on an alcohol diet, visit Rethinking Drinking for tips and resources to help you get started.