Mental health expert Natasha Devon MBE on why going sober might not be as healthy as it seems
Mental health expert warns Dry January could have kicked off a dangerous new diet trend
‘Evidence shows moderate drinking is the way forward’
If, like thousands of Brits, you joined in with Dry January last month, only to count down the days until you could dive head first into a large glass of Pinot to celebrate your abstinence, you could be falling victim to the latest wellness craze, which experts warn is bad for our mental health.
Just like the clean eating movement, which saw us obsessing over the food we were putting on our plates, restricting our alcohol consumption for a limited time can often lead to a blow out at the other end. Anyone have a Wet February, then?
MODERATION VS ABSTINENCE
Mental health campaigner Natasha Devon MBE believes that moderation is a much better way to address our drinking habits. “Of course, some people do need to give up alcohol entirely for their physical or mental health,” she points out. “But for the rest of us, evidence shows moderate drinking is the way forward. The problem with periods of total abstinence, as made increasingly trendy by celebs and Instagram influencers, is that it encourages a binge/purge mentality and drinking even more if we have ‘fallen off the wagon’. We’ve seen this already with the so-called clean eating movement. By promoting an unrealistically restrictive diet that can only ever be maintained over short periods of time, advocates are encouraging rapid weight loss, which – in 93 per cent of cases – leads to longterm weight gain.”
THE SOBER HALO
With so many celebs jumping on the sober bandwagon, and pointing to their booze-free diets as the magic answer to their weight loss, it’s never been more tempting to toss the tipple. But
Natasha says using the no-booze lifestyle as a diet tool can also be problematic. “I worry that abstinence is just another entry point into a narrative that tells women they’re only ‘good’ if they severely ration what they consume,” she says. “Celebs are
cottoning on to the tide of public opinion turning against crash diets. Yet, they still want to tell us all about their weight loss and talking about giving up alcohol is a more socially acceptable way to do it. The result is the same – before-and-after photos and humble brags over our Instafeeds, making us feel inadequate about our own physiques.”
So, if you’ve found yourself inhaling as many units as possible in between dry periods or crowing about being #sobercurious, try moderation instead – it might be just the thing for your body and your mind. ■