Brits Underestimate Their Own Drinking

Date: Feb-27-2013The amount of alcohol that is drunk by consumers in England is much higher than originally reported, according to a new paper in the European Journal of Public Health.

Over three quarters of the English population drink in excess of the recommended daily alcohol limit.

The study was done by a group of investigators in the UCL Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, and is the first of its kind to explore the possible public health outcomes associated with the under-reporting of alcohol intake.

Historically, research around the world has revealed that self-reported alcohol intake only makes up between 40 and 60 percent of alcohol sales.

The research team examined the discrepancy to point out the possible outcome of this 'missing' alcohol on public health.

Sadie Boniface, lead author of the study at UCL, said:

"Currently we don't know who consumes almost half of all the alcohol sold in England. This study was conducted to show what alcohol consumption would look like when all of what is sold is accounted for, if everyone under-reported equally. The results are putative, but they show that this gap between what is seen in the surveys and sales potentially has enormous implications for public health in England."
English Exceed the Limit
Weekly alcohol intake should be limited at 21 units for men and 14 units for women in the UK, according to the Royal College of Physicians.

The UK Chief Medical Officer emphasizes that people should not go over four units per day for men and three a day for women.

After adjusting the data for the under-reporting of alcohol intake, the researchers revealed that the incidence of drinking more than the weekly guidelines increased by 15 percent in men and 11 percent in women - implying that 44 percent of men and 31 percent of women are over their limits.

Additionally, the prevalence of drinking above the daily suggested recommendations increased by 19 percent in men (to 75 percent) and 31 percent in women (to 80 percent).
Binge Drinking, A Dangerous Habit
The study also reveals that when under-reporting is considered, close to half of men and women could be identified as "binge drinkers" - defined as drinking more than eight units of alcohol in one sitting for men, and over six units for women.

Specifically, the proportion of binge drinking rose the most among women, especially those with high incomes, living in the south of England.

Binge drinking can put you at an increased risk for:
breast cancer
sexually transmitted diseases
unintended pregnancy
heart disease
The researchers used data from the General Lifestyle Survey (GLF) 2008 to examine self-reported average weekly alcohol intake levels in 12,490 adults. This survey was yearly and longitudinal, designed to represent the adult population in England.

Boniface concluded:

"What's needed now is a detailed understanding of whether some people under-report their consumption more than others: to what extent does this vary between men and women for example, by how much someone drinks, or by what types of drink they prefer. Little is known on this at present, but this could reveal groups who under-estimate their alcohol consumption substantially, illuminating areas where targeted alcohol education initiatives should be developed."

Binge drinking has also been reported as a dangerous, yet often unrecognized activity in the United States. Among American women, 14 million are binge drinking least three times per month.

Written by Kelly Fitzgerald

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