To think that there is far too much emphasis on alcohol?

[MycatsaPirate]

It's wine o'clock. Kids playing up? have a glass of wine! Gin flavoured cheese, gin with fucking unicorn tears, prosecco everything.

I am not teetotal and I certainly had my time in my late teens when I partied hard every week and probably drank far too much at the weekends but right now it seems that drinking at home, every night is becoming the norm.

I see it constantly on here and on facebook and Instagram - photos of wine glasses, gin glasses and references to it being 'a hard day' and 'needing a drink'. Now I'm sure some of those are a one off but it seems that drinking daily, especially among women, is becoming more of a thing and it's really not very healthy!

When was the last time you had a drink? I actually can't remember but it was in December because I bought a bottle of Baileys and I think I had a glass or two on Boxing day.

Would anyone on here admit they might have a problem? I have seen a fair few people on facebook admit they were struggling to stay Dry in January and I think that's bloody sad.

Who is this 'we' you're talking about

Turn of phrase, nothing more. We, you I, whatever. No need to bust a blood vessel.

The taste comes from a blend of substances

Yeah. That's what I said. A blend of substances, none of which is ethanol. Which is why when some people say they enjoy the taste of alcohol I wonder if they know what they are saying. Which incidentally, I am not sure you do. You write like you just want a ruck.

back at you.

Life is much better when you're not wasting precious moments of it scolding others who don't behave the way you do. Try it! It's a great way to live.

I missed that little gem. Oh the irony.

The difference between eating "too much" and drinking "too much" is that we all need to eat food to survive and it's easy to overeat/under exercise but we don't NEED alcohol, we'd all do a lot better if we didn't have any at all.

Op, it's a shame you have been forced into explaining your weight gain. Limited mobility due to disability is reason enough and you shouldn't have felt the need to justify it. Besides which, you recognise it and are taking steps to address it.

Gets right on my nerves when people defend their own habits by pointing the finger elsewhere as is often the case with the alcohol/ overeating argument. The two are incomparable. The cost of abuse of alcohol to the emergency services vastly outweighs (pardon the pun) the cost of overeating - by millions.

If one member of a family is overweight that rarely causes repercussions for the whole family and anyone else around them - unlike alcohol abuse.

I enjoy a drink as much as the next person, and I've drunk too much in the past (these days it's a glass or two a week for me). But I've also seen first hand the damage that creeping alcohol abuse does to individuals and those around them (and I'm not even talking about your vodka-with-your-weetabix drinkers). Both habits are harmful and costly, but only one is truly a family and societal disease that impacts significantly on both levels.

Op, hang on, read my posts again, I never said you feel awful about your weight or attacked you for being fat.

I took issue with the fact your posts were highly judgemental on people that drink, how these people were apparently an issue in your own words, and my point, made clearly, was that junk food, over eating and obesity was a far bigger issue in our society than those with an alcohol problem. This is a fact. It is. And just as unhealthy if not more so.

You have reasons for being overweight. I'm sure most people who drink also have reasons. Why is it ok for you to attack them?

These threads on drinking come up regularly. However if someone dares to start a thread on obesity then they are attacked in the same way you are attacking me. It's all I have problems.stop judging me.should we hide outselves away stuff. Where as with people who drink, and drink responsibily, some folks feel it's ok to attack and start these threads in a judgey tone.

It's not. This is my point. Your judgement is not ok. Even more so when you are contributing to an even bigger problem.

And little lion, why is it a shame she has been forced to explain, but not a shame in your view for the very many people who have been forced to explain why they drink on this thread?

The cost of abuse of alcohol to the emergency services vastly outweighs (pardon the pun) the cost of overeating - by millions

And the cost of obesity on the nhs far outweighs the cost of drinking by a huge amount more. Why pick a subsection of just emergency services to support your argument when you know everyone knows the wider picture.

In fact to put it into context, overweight/obesity costs the NHS in the region of 1.6 BILLION more per annum than alchohol related issues.

Bluntness if you want to talk about the wider picture I actually said 'emergency services' and not specifically the NHS. By which I am also including policing, since it is they who pick up the pieces on a weekend night. Altogether the cost of alcohol abuse far outweighs obesity.

why is it a shame she has been forced to explain, but not a shame in your view for the very many people who have been forced to explain why they drink on this thread?

Well because presumably they're not drinking alcohol due to a disability, whereas the op is overweight due to spinal operations limiting her mobility.

And are you really defending alcohol abuse? Nowhere have I said that sensible consumption is a problem - I am talking about alcohol abuse and the fact that it harms other people in a way that obesity does not.

Unless an over weight person fell on you!

Little lion, unless you're the op, the thread is not yours nor about you.

Of course I am not defending alcohol,abuse, I am saying though some people who abuse alcohol do so because of other problems. A bit like the op and food.

The thread is the ops. Her first few posts are unpleasant and judgemental. She does not specify alcoholics or heavy binge drinkers, simply drinkers in general. The point is it is not ok to sit in judgement of people in this manner, and to make out you are superior. Particularly when you uoutself know full well that personal problems can lead to abuse of a substance, be it food, booze, drugs, cigarettes or whatever.

And to thr poster who said the difference is you need to eat, don't be so ridiculous, you don't need to over eat and you don't need to eat crap. Just like you don't need to drink too much.

Eating and drinking in moderation is fine. Drinking anything at all should not be demonised. Drinking responsibily is fine.

Little lion, unless you're the op, the thread is not yours nor about you

I haven't the faintest idea what you mean by this.

Anyway, I agree with the op - there is too much emphasis on alcohol, resulting in some of the issues I have stated in my posts (which I'm apparently not allowed to say because I didn't start the thread).

What are you defining as moderation though, Bluntness?

People say drinking in moderation is fine, but nobody ever seems to clarify what they mean by in moderation. I suspect it means different things to different people.

OP, I’m very sorry for your loss.

Drink aware do a quick assessment tool to know if you drink too much here.

If your drinking is moderate it will say "If you continue drinking at this level and do not exceed the daily guidelines then you are drinking in a way that is unlikely to harm your health. Drinking consistently within these limits is called 'lower-risk' rather than 'safe' because drinking alcohol is never completely safe."

Most people will know if their drinking is moderate though, those who think they drink more than moderate amounts are probably as hesitant to to do the assessment as an overweight person is to step on the scales.

Totally agree with you OP, it's tragic and pathetic.

bluntness I have never stated that I have food issues or overeat. What I have done is explain worsening mobility issues and being stuck in bed for long periods of time. We eat very healthily in this house and I don't have any issues for you to worry about. My weight is falling slowly due to the fact that exercise is an issue but at least I'm doing something about my weight.

My whole point was that it's all about the over emphasis on alcohol everywhere. Every food company has realised that if they stick some gin or prosecco in it, a whole bunch of women will go and buy it.

Yesterday M&S opened a food hall in our village. The hysteria among the locals about the possibility of a free glass of bubbly was quite pathetic. All on the village facebook group saying 'meet you in the wine aisle!'. Like there's nothing better to do at 10am on a Wednesday morning than dash down for a free drink.

I don't think anyone should be drinking every day. I don't think it's healthy. I don't think you sleep well after alcohol. I don't think that it's healthy for children to see their parents drinking every night. I see a lot of justifying on this thread, oh I only have a single glass every night, I'm within the limit. But that's hardly the point. If I said that I was only having a bag of maltesers every night on a thread about obesity than I'd be told I don't NEED them every night and it's not good for me. I don't btw, I still have chocolate left from Christmas here and at the moment I limit myself to a little bit every now and again.

Honestly there is a lot of crap being spouted here. Getting Abel about financial cost to the NHS is missing the point by a country mile,

Make no mistake, alcohol is the scourge of Western societies. The cost is so much more than physical; excessive consumption wreaks havoc in families, workplaces - and in fact any place an excessive drinker inhabits.

anal not Abel!