[BoxFour]

It's likely more about the social circle you surround yourself with. When everyone around you is consistently drinking and indulging in such dietary habits, it can give the illusion of normalcy and social acceptability, even if, from an objective standpoint, it's an unhealthy choice.

The bigger challenge is that the obvious solution, advocating "don't succumb to peer pressure", is essentially acknowledging a lack of a clear solution to the issue.

[tomatocracy]

I think people do it because they enjoy it, not peer pressure. Making "unhealthy" choices can still be rational - we each get only one life after all, and choosing to have a shorter one with greater enjoyment seems as valid to me as the opposite choice.

[BoxFour]

You have a point, but I’d say it’s considerably more socially acceptable to share 12 pints with friends than to consume the same amount alone. Social norms and acceptability can indeed exert a significant influence on OVERindulgence.