Although the festive season is only just approaching, some people may already be thinking up New Year's resolutions, with 'Dry January' being one option for many.
This is the concept of giving up alcohol for the first month of the year, which, according to a new study from the University of Sussex, can help to change a person's drinking habits for good, thereby potentially improving their health significantly.
Dry January is led by the charity Alcohol Concern, encouraging people to ask for sponsorship throughout their month of sobriety, helping to raise awareness of and money for the cause.
Speaking to BBC News, national director of health and wellbeing at Public Health England Professor Kevin Fenton commented: 'Over-consumption of alcohol is a causal factor in more than 60 medical conditions, including cancer, depression and dementia, and yet more than half of adults who drink do so at a level above the recommended guidance.'
However, the new investigation from UK researchers shows that giving up alcohol for a month had a positive effect on both the health and attitude of many people who took part in Dry January.
Around 3,800 participants were recruited for the study, with each individual completing a questionnaire prior to stopping drinking in January 2014 and over 1,600 of these filling in a follow-up survey in February. In August, almost 900 completed a third and final poll.
It was found that giving up alcohol for 31 days helped participants to lose weight, sleep better and feel more energetic, while over three-quarters of those taking part reported a sense of achievement at the end of the month, as well as having saved money.
In addition, Dry January tended to make people reassess their relationship with alcohol, but experts warned that stopping drinking for one month does not mean such beverages can be indulged in at other times of the year without affecting the health, but that caution should still be exercised.
Professor Fenton concluded: 'Dry January has proved to be successful in helping people moderate their drinking and benefit from a healthier lifestyle.'