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Public Health Experts: America has an Eating, Drinking and Lack of Exercise Problem

Posted on June 21, 2022 by Devon Herrick

America has a collective drinking problem. And an eating problem. This is all made worse by Americans propensity to sit at home watching TV or playing video games. A recent study has found that deaths from alcoholic cirrhosis have more than tripled in 20 years. In 1999 alcoholic cirrhosis killed 6,007 Americans or about 3.3 per 100,000 adults. By 2019 the death rate had risen to 10.6 per 100,000. Keep in mind this is only for adults aged 25 to 85+. Here’s what one of the authors, Dr. Charles Hennekens had to say.

“The hypothesis is that people are drinking more and starting earlier in life,” said lead researcher Dr. Charles Hennekens.

But there may be other factors at work, Hennekens added, including a dramatic increase in obesity, along with more sedentary lifestyles.

Drinking to excess, overeating and a lack of exercise all increases fatty liver. All the above also contributes to diabetes and heart disease. It’s always something I guess. The authors of the study also noted that alcohol accounts for one-third of liver transplants. I wonder what accounts for the other two-thirds? The authors believe that doctors should do more to counsel patients about the danger of alcohol abuse.

“While the data indicate that those who have one to two drinks daily have lower risks of cardiovascular disease than nondrinkers, it is also true that the difference between drinking smaller and larger amounts of alcohol means the difference between preventing and causing premature death,” Hennekens said.

Read more at Alarming Trends: Mortality from Alcoholic Cirrhosis in the United States

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For many years, our health care blog was the only free enterprise health policy blog on the internet. Then, when the NCPA closed its doors, the health blog stopped as well.

During this five-year hiatus no one else has come forward to claim the space. So, my colleagues and I have decided to restart the blog in connection with the Goodman Institute. We invite you and others to use this forum to share your views.

John C. Goodman,

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