Are You Drinking Too Much?

Even if you left boozing-to-get-drunk behind in college and haven't seen a last call in years, alcohol could still be harming your health

Haley Bakker, 25, doesn't have a drinking problem. Sure, the public relations associate regularly hits the Chicago bar scene with friends and frequently sips cocktails at business events. And sure, the drink she often holds in one hand feels as natural as the smartphone in the other. But like most of her pals, Haley rarely gets drunk, almost never wakes up with a hangover, and always takes a cab home.

When asked how many drinks she has in a typical week, Haley's first guess is five or six. Then she does the math: Monday night might find her catching up with a girlfriend over cocktails. Tuesday, it's dinner with her boyfriend and a bottle of red. Wednesday, a going-away party for a coworker and vodka tonics all around. Thursday is movie night at home with takeout and white wine. Friday is the office cocktail hour where everyone gathers to toast landing a new account. Saturday is a night out at the bars, followed by Sunday brunch with Bloody Marys. Her initial estimate was way off, by at least half, she admits. It's easy to lose track.

Very easy, especially in a post-Sex and the City culture in which socializing is often synonymous with clinking glasses, and an after-work nip with clients isn't only normal, it's practically de rigueur. The alcohol facts are sobering. Per a July 2012 Gallup poll, 44 percent of Americans drink alcohol regularly, and 22 percent admit they sometimes imbibe more than they should, despite U.S. dietary health guidelines that state women should sip no more than seven drinks a week and no more than three on any given day.

"As a society, we have long blown past those guidelines," says clinical psychologist Joseph Nowinski, Ph.D., author of Almost Alcoholic. And while a seven-drink weekly limit might seem a little strict to some, a slew of research has found that regularly exceeding it over time can lead to both health hiccups (low energy, blotchy skin) and health disasters (certain cancers, strokes). To wit, in September, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force was compelled to draft a recommendation to primary-care physicians: Talk to your patients about risky drinking behaviors, stat. Those M.D.s are in for a challenge.