Is nagging good for us?

How civilized

The trouble with Dame Sally's pronouncement is that many people will dismiss it it as rubbish, and her other advice becomes less credible. That sums it up exactly. It is hard enough dealing with a cancer diagnosis without feeling as if it is somehow your own fault.

I heard this sanctimonious woman making her pronouncements in doom laden terms, something like: 'EVERY time you are about to drink a glass of wine think, do I want breast cancer?' For goodness' sake. She is either a puritanical extremist or a hypocrite. I don't suppose it will stop her drinking what she wants as doctors are known to be at the top of the professions for substance abuse. I imagine she's after some lucrative Euro-post with a fat cat salary, something with an Orwellian title and a pension of ££££s.

I think there should be a health warning slapped on listening to health warnings. The medics have already admitted to making the advice on safe drinking up and I heard the doctor responsible describe on the radio how he pulled the 'unit' out of thin air when he was pressed for his medical wisdom. And we all know what happened to the 'fat is deadly' message.

Naturally, most of us are capable both of thinking for ourselves and of living with moderation. However, it makes me angry that the credulous are so misled.

I love the bit in Trust Me I'm A Doctor when they ask two specialists their opinion on a subject - sugar, alcohol, exercise etc. The opinions are always the complete opposite so how can we decide what is best for us.

I believe in moderation, other than that I eat and drink what I like. BUT I only like 1 or 2 drinks anyway and I am not over weight so I don't really have to worry.

She earns £205 - £210 thousand a year.

There is no safe limit for alcohol. All alcohol has negative health effects. It's a poison, that's how it works. CMO pretending otherwise would be acting against her job title. So just as smokers know that every time they light up that they are harming themselves, so drinkers should know every glass has a (tiny) risk attached. Why deny this?

I drink, I love good wine and whisky. But I don't think it's doing me good.

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Prais the Lord for a sensible post. At last.

I'm not sure I agree that alcohol in any amount is poisonous. Do you have citations for that, pamish?

Even an excessive intake of water will kill you. That doesn't mean water is poisonous.

Water is not a poison. Too much might kill for other reasons. Not by poisoning though. Alcohol in large amounts will kill you by poisoning.

See the difference?

And in lesser amounts, it can kill you slowly.

Ah well, it's the second claim I disagree with, the one about lesser amounts killing you slowly. I don't think this has been shown scientifically.

I don't drink alcoholic drinks, btw, but not because I'm worried about them killing me slowly.

We're all dying slowly anyway, if you think about it.

"can" is a very important word. It does not equal "will".

Sport could kill you
Jogging could kill you
Meat could kill you
Junk food could kill you
Travel could kill you
Pollution could kill you
Staying at home could kill you (lack of exercise)
Lack of sleep could kill you
Apparently too much sleep is not good for us either!

Stressing about all the above could kill you

It's all a matter of moderation

I'll bet that Sally Davies is a bundle of fun at the Christmas party

I agree with jinglbellsfrocks

Drinking water can kill you. Several people have died from drinking too much water.

Water intoxication: huge amounts of water upset the normal balance of electrolytes such as sodium in the body.

janea if we just have to think about it when we pour ourselves a glass of will we be fine with beer, cider and spirits?

I'm asking purely out of curiosity what is the very worse thing we can eat or drink that is proven carcinogenic?

Apart from food or drink, watching tv, using screens, household chemicals, atmospheric pollution, workplace pollution, viruses, - the list could go on for pages.

Chernobyl? They are very quiet about any cancers resulting from that and try to make people think they are self-inflicted by lifestyle.

Burnt toast, burnt or barbecued meats are allegedly carcinogenic as are processed meats such as bacon, sausages, ham.

There was a mention about the Bible earlier in this thread so I checked and sure enough it does say to "take a little wine for your health's sake" so I think that is good enough for me!

'Everything in moderation' as my mum used to say