DR. WALLACE: Our extended family gets together every Easter and a lot of beer is consumed by the men and some of them get smashed. Why is it that men drink the beer and get drunk and not the women? Why do men drink more beer than women? Is it a macho thing? — Nameless, Cookeville, Tenn.
NAMELESS: Your family is from the old school, at least in terms of drinking. There was a time when beer was considered a macho drink and it was crude for a woman to be seen with a bottle in her hand. Polite society could accept a man who was drunk but would have been aghast at the idea of an inebriated female.
For better or for worse, the women's movement helped alter these images. Now women can do what they want, including indulging in the same vices that men enjoy. As a result, the number of female alcoholics is growing rapidly. In 1950, less than 10 percent of Alcoholics Anonymous members were women; now over 30 percent of active members in AA are women.
Beer is no longer strictly macho. Beer companies are well aware that many women now like to join the men in having a cold one, so a portion of their advertising budget is aimed specifically at females.
One problem with this is that alcohol affects men differently than it does women, who tend to get drunk quicker because women have more body fat. This means a woman's body has less ability to dilute the alcohol because it is absorbed in the fat.
The women in your family are smart to avoid competing with the men in "beer chugging." Let's hope they stay smart.
YOU WILL ALWAYS BE THERE TO HELP
DR. WALLACE: A certain girl and I have been good friends for many years. We're both 13. Lately, she has been acting rather strangely. Her main problem is that she tells "whopper" lies. It's not just one or two a day; it's about one or two every five minutes. I'm tired of listening to all of her "fantasies" and I'm considering dropping her as a friend. I talked to my mom about the problem and she told me I had to work things out myself. Please give me your advice. — Nameless, Ada, Okla.
NAMELESS: When people start telling fibs, it's usually because something has happened to cause the person to lose self-confidence, and to suffer from a lack of self-esteem. Talk to your friend and tell her that you've noticed a recent change in her behavior that involved her fabricating a lot of stories.
Reaffirm your friendship with her and make her aware that you'll always be there to help her when she needs help. Never tell her the friendship is over, even if you decide to spend more time with others. That will only compound the problems she's experiencing.
Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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