Middle-aged Adults Must Have 'Drink-Free' Days to Ward Off Cancer and Weight Gain
London: Concerned over the negative health effects of alcohol intake on middle-aged adults, a new campaign has urged people between the ages of 45 and 65 to have regular "drink-free" days, that can help reduce the chance of cancer and weight gain.
The suggestions from Public Health England (PHE) — a government agency for preventing ill health — are part of a newly launched campaign "Drink Free Days" — a partnership between PHE and the alcohol education charity Drinkaware.
"Having a day off drinking gives you a chance to clean your system and gives your liver a rest. It also has an immediate impact on your sleep and calorie consumption," Julia Verne, a spokeswoman on liver disease for Public Health England, was quoted as saying by the BBC.
"People have also told us that the idea of a 'drink-free' day is much easier to manage than cutting down, say, from one large glass of wine to a small glass of wine."
According to a survey — YouGov poll by PHE and Drinkaware — that examined nearly 9,000 adults aged 18 to 85, one in five were drinking more than the government's 14 unit-a-week guidelines.
And two-thirds said they would find cutting down on their drinking harder to do than improving their diet, exercising more or reducing their smoking.
Verne said: "Most middle-aged people are not drinking to become drunk. They see it as a social activity, or as a reward for success or compensation for a hard day at work. It has become a habit and part of their lives.
"But the more you drink, the more you increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart and liver disease and cancer," she said.