“BOND, JAMES BOND.”
If that isn’t the first quote that comes to mind when thinking of the English spy, it will be “shaken not stirred”.
However, a BMJ study suggests a darker reason for this catchphrase than simply a preference for how his Martins are constructed, but rather that he would have been unable to stir them due to a crippling alcohol induced tremor.
Analysis of 14 books in the series revealed that the secret agent’s alcohol consumption was over four times the prescribed weekly limit, drinking more than 90 beverages a week.
It could also have been higher, as the authors of the study were conservative in some estimates, for example if the novel mentioned him simply ‘visiting a bar’.
They concluded that his health is likely to have been severely affected:
The level of functioning as displayed in the books is inconsistent with the physical, mental, and indeed sexual functioning expected from someone drinking this much alcohol.
Previous studies looked at simply the number of drinks consumed per book, rather than the overall affect on his health.
The thinking behind the study is that alcohol is often portrayed in a glamours light in entertainment, with Bond often being seen as a “role model”, despite the fact that 4 per cent of deaths worldwide are attributed to misuse of alcohol.
Previous studies have shown that people underestimate their alcohol intake by as much as 30 per cent.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say