728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Holiday: Winter › Toasting the Holidays

Toasting the Holidays

Why Alcohol Affects Women Differently

By Lisa Marie Metzler

Pages:  1  2  3  

Reaping the Consequences
Something else to keep in mind is that the long-term effects of indulging are more severe for women. A recent study conducted by Washington University and the University of Michigan School of Public Health on women and alcohol report the consequences of alcohol consumption are more severe for women than men.

"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.

Stay With the Plan
There are plenty of good reasons to make a plan for how much you will drink before you slip into your holiday party dress.

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.


Pages:  1  2  3  


Want to see more?