I have to admit I skipped the "read the study" part when the NYT article was first published: I think I was afraid I may not give it an unbiased assessment and I will just be looking for flaws in it, or maybe afraid that I may not be able to find anything wrong to refute its conclusions. So I am very happy to hear your opinion on this topic and am glad to see we are on the same page (almost). It's the 7/2 rule that I share a somewhat different view on. I think finding an optimal threshold for the amount of alcohol one can enjoy without tipping to the unhealthy side is complex and such a study may never be conducted. So how do we define moderation then? In my opinion, that should be person specific. One person may get drunk from one glass while another may need multiple drinks to reach that state. It also depends on how much you hydrate, how much food you ingest, the duration of the consumption, and many other factors. So rather than using a rule of thumb for weekly or daily intake, maybe just listen to your body. It will tell you if you are drinking in moderation or not. Whether that gets you in the no-harm-done zone, I do not know, I guess it's for you to tell us at our annual visits :). But I feel it is in the spirit of your blog's ending, which I loved. Cheers to the trial and errors finding the sweet spot called moderation...and sticking with it.
Excellent post. I would add one more vice: ice cream. Aside from this being a favorite of mine, there is some good news, reported in this interesting article in The Atlantic in May. Please don’t poke holes in this one! :-)
Agree with a lot - but on the crypto-fascist thing - yes, sure an "obsession" with anything is not good, by definition of that pejorative word. But in line with your theme of moderation - re exercise - I think that remark is missing the point a bit. Yes, there CAN be an unhealthy, badly driven desire to exercise, but for me, and I think for millions of others, I really enjoy exercising, playing sport etc etc - it's a lot of fun! - it's part of life's pleasures, and yes, feeling healthy and fit is very enjoyable too - so in many ways, and for much of the time, I'd argue, exercise is life-enhancing and a positive thing.
Excellent piece, thank you! Just a small correction—I think you meant "Leni Riefenstahl," not "Lina Wertmuller." Believe me, I don't want to be pedantic, I just owe it to the memory of the late Italian director, Wertmüller, who was definitely not a fascist (crypto or non-crypto)!
Agree. Well said!
I have to admit I skipped the "read the study" part when the NYT article was first published: I think I was afraid I may not give it an unbiased assessment and I will just be looking for flaws in it, or maybe afraid that I may not be able to find anything wrong to refute its conclusions. So I am very happy to hear your opinion on this topic and am glad to see we are on the same page (almost). It's the 7/2 rule that I share a somewhat different view on. I think finding an optimal threshold for the amount of alcohol one can enjoy without tipping to the unhealthy side is complex and such a study may never be conducted. So how do we define moderation then? In my opinion, that should be person specific. One person may get drunk from one glass while another may need multiple drinks to reach that state. It also depends on how much you hydrate, how much food you ingest, the duration of the consumption, and many other factors. So rather than using a rule of thumb for weekly or daily intake, maybe just listen to your body. It will tell you if you are drinking in moderation or not. Whether that gets you in the no-harm-done zone, I do not know, I guess it's for you to tell us at our annual visits :). But I feel it is in the spirit of your blog's ending, which I loved. Cheers to the trial and errors finding the sweet spot called moderation...and sticking with it.
Sensible essay. Similar conclusions about alcohol were reached by Dr. Peter Attia in his book Outlive.
Excellent post. I would add one more vice: ice cream. Aside from this being a favorite of mine, there is some good news, reported in this interesting article in The Atlantic in May. Please don’t poke holes in this one! :-)
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/05/ice-cream-bad-for-you-health-study/673487/
Agree with a lot - but on the crypto-fascist thing - yes, sure an "obsession" with anything is not good, by definition of that pejorative word. But in line with your theme of moderation - re exercise - I think that remark is missing the point a bit. Yes, there CAN be an unhealthy, badly driven desire to exercise, but for me, and I think for millions of others, I really enjoy exercising, playing sport etc etc - it's a lot of fun! - it's part of life's pleasures, and yes, feeling healthy and fit is very enjoyable too - so in many ways, and for much of the time, I'd argue, exercise is life-enhancing and a positive thing.
Cheers Dr. B!
Excellent piece, thank you! Just a small correction—I think you meant "Leni Riefenstahl," not "Lina Wertmuller." Believe me, I don't want to be pedantic, I just owe it to the memory of the late Italian director, Wertmüller, who was definitely not a fascist (crypto or non-crypto)!
I look forward to “hearing” your voice every Sunday, Bertie. Toast to Gloria, wine, chocolate, and you. 🧡 (Larkey)
Great stuff, thank you!! Ps. Don’t be so crypto-fascist, Bertie is just a great name. Pss. I have no idea what that means.
Excellent article, Dr. Bregman. I really appreciate the perspective.