Women are more addicted to alcohol than men, say studies

While many studies on alcohol abuse that were done in the past had statistically revealed men to be addicted to alcohol, new studies have shown that this is no longer the case. According to a global study, it has been reported that women are now drinking more alcohol than men. Reports have been found where the amount and frequency of women drinkers have increased.

STUDIES: The case especially implies to the younger generation. A study was done to compare alcohol consumption behaviour among female family members. It was found that daughters are more than five times addicted to alcohol as their mothers were at the same age. Another study found that percentage of women alcohol drinkers has increased seven times from the time span of 2002 to 2012.

Now, the question is, why there is a sudden increase in this percentage. The reasons were found to be:

THEIR ROLE IN PROFESSIONAL SPHERES: Women have got a prominent role in professional spheres. According to studies, higher education, higher income and more working hours are all correlated with alcohol consumption. This fact was supported with the point that high-stress level induces the urge to drink.

NO LONGER A STIGMA: Also, drinking alcohol is no longer considered a stigma.

TENDENCY TO SELF-MEDICATE: Their tendency to self-medicate for mental conditions such as depression, stress and anxiety with alcohol could also be responsible.

DOES THEIR BODY REACT DIFFERENTLY TO BOOZE? As compared to men, generally women weigh less, have less water retention and also, have a higher body fat percentage. They have extra fatty tissues in their bodies that store alcohol, which means when a woman drinks, her body is exposed to alcohol for a longer duration. Thus, she can suffer from more health issues. Also, women have lesser enzymes that are responsible for metabolizing alcohol in stomach and liver. This makes their bloodstream more prone to absorb alcohol. Another factor that makes their body react differently from men is that their ability to metabolize alcohol changes with hormonal changes. Hence, the way a woman's body reacts to alcohol becomes difficult to predict, as it may vary throughout the month.