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Toasting the Holidays
Why Alcohol Affects Women Differently
By Lisa Marie Metzler
"Women who reported drinking heavily 20 years ago, and even those who reported they stopped drinking heavily in the past five years, were both greatly compromised by the long-term effects of alcohol," says Dr. Kyle Grazier, associate professor of health management and policy at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
Researchers found that older women, who previously drank to excess some time during their lives, had difficulty climbing stairs, carrying groceries or walking around the neighborhood. Many also developed physical disorders that kept them from the amount of time they usually spent at work or in social activities with their families. More serious effects included liver disease, cirrhosis and hepatitis, each developing over a shorter period of time and after consuming less alcohol than men with similar diseases.
Deborah Deal, a public relations executive in Orlando, Fla., attends many business-related parties during the holiday season and feels it's important to keep a level head. "I have learned to set a definite limit of two drinks per night," says Deal.
Although she may attend more than one party on a given night, she still abides by her personal policy of just two drinks. Her plan is to consume two alcoholic beverages per night, followed by one diet soda and then decaffeinated drinks. "I've learned to watch the caffeine as well as the alcohol so I can go to sleep and get some needed rest when I get home," says Deal.
