Women Are Now Binge Drinking More Than Men, Here is Why
Women in America are binge drinking more than men for the first time in history. While it is still killing more men, the rise of alcohol-related deaths among women is increasing rapidly. The rise in alcohol consumption among women has been noticed in the past two decades, and though advertising is not responsible for addiction, it plays a part in it.
The pandemic and alcohol consumption
There has been an increase in alcohol consumption during the Covid pandemic, as confirmed by Dr. George Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). However, what remains unclear is why it impacted women more. The uptick was initially noticed among college women.
Connections to eating disorders
A study titled “The Link Between Alcoholism and Eating Disorders” found the links between two issues, especially among younger women. Eating disorders are more prevalent among women, and according to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), out of 30 million people struggling, 20 million are women.
False sense of control
Binge drinking, like eating disorders, gives a false sense of control. Many people don’t think they can get out of control, so they continue drinking heavily and overdo drinking. The normalization of alcohol also represents a significant issue.
Filling the void
Dieting, drinking, and overspending can be seen as ways to fill emotional voids. Young women have been presented with these options in the past decades, and advertisers, who usually spoke to men, saw an opportunity to tackle new gender in the 80s. With social media and the rise of influencers, women’s insecurities were only made more visible, which could be part of the problem.
Binge drinking in the age of mental health crisis
Another issue is that we live in times of outstanding mental health distress among younger generations. Men were the ones who turned to alcohol during the difficult times in the past, but women are not just keeping up but surpassing men. With product placement, social media, and a decline in mental health, the problem shows no signs of slowing down.
Mixed messages
Women are also met with mixed messages. They are told to wear certain styles, look a certain way, keep up their workout routine, and love each other, but they also indulge in girl’s night out and basically act like men. While women still haven’t reached equality, they were sold a false narrative. Women cannot drink as much as men, and binge drinking for women means four drinks, while for men, it is five.
Child-free women around 35 are especially endangered
A study published in the journal Addiction in 2023 connected how women in their mid-30s are at greater risk of abusing alcohol and binge drinking. Study lead author Rachel Sayko Adams believes that delaying having children is part of the problem, and things will worsen.
“Wine mom” culture
The researchers also pointed out that the “wine mom” culture increases the normalization of alcohol and negatively impacts women in their 20s and 30s. The “wine mom” is used to refer to a mom who drinks wine as a way to cope with parenting. This social media phenomenon was made to sound fun, but the consequences are dire. This also proves that while child-free women are at risk, moms are also targets.
Size matters
Scientists at the University of Cambridge found that wine glasses have increased and are seven times larger than 300 years ago. However, the most significant changes were noticed in the past two decades. The researchers did not hide that larger wine glasses can also increase the pleasure of drinking wine, which may increase the desire to drink more.
Women are less likely to seek treatment
According to a study conducted by the Journal of JAMA Health Forum, women are less likely to seek treatment due to shame and stigma. The most defeating data, according to the Guardians’ report, is that many young women and girls who do enter treatments usually do it to seek help for both alcohol addictions and eating disorders.
The risks of binge drinking among women
Women who consume alcohol excessively are more sensitive to developing liver diseases, such as hepatitis and cirrhosis, and alcohol-induced brain damage compared to men. Additionally, women who are drinkers are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer, osteoporosis, heart disease,e and reproductive issues, including infertility.
Socializing without alcohol is no longer possible
Even if you think that nothing has changed, try socializing without alcohol. People usually assume that someone is ill if they refuse to have “only one glass.” Combined with social media, product placement, and how drinking became “cool” in TV shows and movies, there are reasons women are drinking more. And consequences are often deadly.
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