Daily Mail - 5 September 2009
Women in their 40s are drinking far more alcohol than previous generations and regularly turn to a glass of wine to help them cope with the stress of modern life. According to a survey, half of middle-aged women believe they drink more than their mothers did at their age and some are so worried about the amount they drink they are constantly trying to cut down.
Alcohol consumption has doubled since the 1950s, largely because drinking among women has become much more socially acceptable, and the cost of buying alcohol is 65 per cent cheaper than 30 years ago. However, the survey revealed that it is not just the 'ladette' generation of British women who are regularly indulging in alcohol.
Women in their 40s and 50s admit to regularly opening a bottle of wine to consume with dinner at home during the week. Woman & Home magazine questioned around 3,000 women - aged between 35 and 60 - to try to establish how their drinking habits have changed compared with the previous generation. Almost half revealed that their mothers rarely drank, save for special occasions, with a quarter admitting that their mother never drank at all at their age.
In comparison, one in ten of the women questioned admitted having a drink every day and a third said they enjoyed alcohol a few times a week. Most - nearly 80 per cent - drank wine at home, with almost half - 46 per cent - admitting to drinking on their own.
Earlier this week the Daily Mail revealed that drinking too much alcohol, coupled with indulging in an inactive lifestyle, can be a factor in the development of breast cancer. Experts at the World Cancer Research Fund said cutting down on drinking, coupled with maintaining a healthy weight, could help reduce the diagnosis of the disease among middle-aged women by as much as 40 per cent.
Alcohol consumption is also blamed for a dramatic rise in cases of cancer of the mouth, tongue, lip and throat which have also increased by a quarter among women in their 40s in the past decade. The survey revealed that around a third of women said they didn't feel they needed a reason to have a drink, but most said they turned to alcohol to help them relax after a stressful day or to celebrate a special occasion.
Researchers point to the fact that single mothers or divorced women are more likely than in the past to open a bottle of wine at the end of a busy day at work or with the children. One in four women said they had been so concerned about one of their female friends' drinking habits they had confronted them about their intake, while a fifth admitted they sometimes worried about their own drinking and were constantly trying to cut down.
Sue James, editorial director of Woman & Home, said: 'Much has been said about teenagers and the "ladette" culture for binge-drinking alcohol, but the amount of drinking done by the core of the female population - the 40-something woman - has rather been overlooked. 'Our survey shows that these women are aware that they are drinking far more than their own mother's generation ever did and that they are concerned about the impact it will have, not only on their health, but on that of their friends and family as well.
Professor Ian Gilmore, who is president of the Royal College of Physicians and chairs the UK Alcohol Health Alliance, said: 'This survey further demonstrates that it is not just youngsters binge-drinking who are having problems with alcohol - the biggest rise in drinking is among middle-aged people.'
People's drinking habits are changing dramatically, and as socialising now revolves around drinking for many of us it is very easy to slip into alcohol addiction. Hypnosis for alcohol addiction is a very effective treatment in enabling you to cut down and/or stop drinking alcohol. At the Harley Street Hypnotherapy Clinic we see clients from all walks of life that have different relationships with alcohol, from wanting to control excessive drinking to alcohol addiction. Each client at the London hypnotherapy clinic is treated as an individual, sessions of hypnotherapy for alcohol addiction are relaxed and each step is at the client's pace. Speak to The Harley Street Hypnotherapy Clinic today for alcohol addiction hypnosis.
