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Cancer Doctors Cite Risks of Drinking Alcohol

nytimes.com

121–130 of 167 posts

Re: Cancer Doctors Cite Risks of Drinking Alcohol

#121
post #95

It would be better to know at what age this increases risk. If a lifetime spent drinking delicious, delicious red wine ends up taking me out 5yrs before Alzheimer's would, so be it.

How old are you? I'm just a touch over 40 and even at this age the poignancy of life really starts to reveal itself to you. You would trade 5 years of your life for being able to drink wine? Because it's that delicious, right? Sorry, but this is either hyperbole to the point of silliness or you have no idea the value of your life.

Depends on which 5. If I live to be 60 where otherwise I’d live to be 65, that’s a bigger deal vs 90/95 with dementia thrown in for good measure.

Re: Cancer Doctors Cite Risks of Drinking Alcohol

#122
post #57
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think mostly when people cite this they are referring to this study: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20101101/... Alcohol ranks very highly because of it's severe harmful effects on the body. However, behavioral effects tend to be those which make drug users a threat to society. But cocaine's harm is highly dependent on its form. In some pre-Colombian civilizations, as well as in some parts of mo…

A big obvious difference between alcohol and other drugs that also makes it popular is that in moderation it is not all that intoxicating or impairing. Unlike marijuana and mushrooms it is easily possible to have a drink or two and function normally. This accounts for a lot of its social acceptability. Simply put, unless you really overindulge, it doesn’t “fuck you up”. This is also generally true of hard drugs like…

Sorry, but are you high? ;)

Your anecdata is incorrect. I can smoke two bowls (or even two 1/8ths) in the course of say 45 minutes, and I will more sober than if I had two IIPAs or two shots of tequila.

Re: Cancer Doctors Cite Risks of Drinking Alcohol

#123
post #64

The N.Y. Times once reported on the lifespans of the people of Ikaria, who apparently have the longest recorded lifespans, as a group, in the world. Their diet includes moderate amounts of wine. “Wine — in moderation — had been shown to be good for you if consumed as part of a Mediterranean diet, because it prompts the body to absorb more flavonoids, a type of antioxidant” Not a medical research study, but I wonder h…

Would be good to know who financed the study.

Re: Cancer Doctors Cite Risks of Drinking Alcohol

#124
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Spectacularly unhelpful as a policy prescription. People know what they need to do to lose weight. They just don't do it.

Yes and no. I think what's missing is the general awareness about the connection between excess weight and other ills: diabetes, cancer, etc., etc. Most people believe extra weight is natural, (socially) acceptable, and just a basic modern inconvenience. It's just not wise for established leaders to say "stop drinking soda or die young." Not to get off topic but look at Obama and healthcare. He could have tied person…

>I think what's missing is the general awareness about the connection between excess weight and other ills: diabetes, cancer, etc., etc.

Really? I don't know anybody who doesn't realize that connection. It's hard to imagine you wouldn't if you had a television or an internet connection.

Re: Cancer Doctors Cite Risks of Drinking Alcohol

#125
post #94
post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's no evidence any of this actually works, and most people aren't interested in a government that tries to dictate what they should eat.

> There's no evidence any of this actually works, There's plenty of evidence that taxing a product reduces demand for that product > and most people aren't interested in a government that tries to dictate what they should eat. That's true, but it just underscores the ancestor comment: Social acceptance can make most any evil the norm. People accept that the government should regulate what we drink and smoke, but not…

People accept that the government should regulate what other people drink and smoke. The smoking prohibitions didn't come into effect until the number of smokers was small enough they couldn't stop them, and alcohol prohibition was always the cause of teetotalers and ex-alcoholics.

Re: Cancer Doctors Cite Risks of Drinking Alcohol

#126
post #115
post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Alcohol is shilled so hard in America. It's disgusting. I honestly don't know why it isn't more strictly regulated. I used to binge drink every few nights when I was younger. Like most people that have drank more than they should have, I have lots of stories of mischief and questionable (at best, sometimes straight illegal) behavior. And these are the stories I used to trade with friends and coworkers. Oh man, they w…

> Alcohol is shilled so hard in America. It's disgusting. I honestly don't know why it isn't more strictly regulated. Total drunk behaviour or total abstention are both extreme and symptoms of other, deeper issues. Alcohol can amplify existing issues, but there's also plenty of people who drink moderately, in family settings, without getting wasted or violent.

Not taking a certain drug (poison) is considered extreme? Well, being extreme then is very good for my physical and mental health.

Re: Cancer Doctors Cite Risks of Drinking Alcohol

#127
post #114
post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Alcohol is shilled so hard in America. It's disgusting. I honestly don't know why it isn't more strictly regulated. I used to binge drink every few nights when I was younger. Like most people that have drank more than they should have, I have lots of stories of mischief and questionable (at best, sometimes straight illegal) behavior. And these are the stories I used to trade with friends and coworkers. Oh man, they w…

How are we different than the rest of the world - most of the US has tighter controls on alcohol than europe does.

Other than the prevalence of drunk driving, then you're right Europe has much more of a drinking problem.

Re: Cancer Doctors Cite Risks of Drinking Alcohol

#128
I have read these studies before, and they’ve compelled me to drop my beer drinking down to about 1.2 standard drinks a day. Works for me: still get to drink, still get to pop a bomber of the heavy stuff once a week, and have more incentive to explore low-ABV styles like gueuze and lager. I haven’t found any studies at all that describe the risks of alcohol consumption for men at 1 standard drink per day — which isn’t to say that the risks don’t exist, but they’re probably pretty low.

However, the article implies that the size of a standard drink as 10g, whereas almost everywhere else I’ve heard it as 14g. So which is it?

Re: Cancer Doctors Cite Risks of Drinking Alcohol

#129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My point is that it's because of luck rather than because the residents are doing something special.

They don’t “do” anything. It’s genetics. Genetics are luck.

Are you not understanding my point on purpose?
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