Sex and the sicky!

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker has announced that there will be only one more series of Sex And The City - to the despair of its 4.5 million fans. But is this hedonistic lifestyle of drinking, smoking and sex something we should be dreaming of, or is it a recipe for unhappiness and ill-health?

Alcohol

The odd cocktail - Carrie (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) prefers Cosmopolitans - should not do you too much harm. In fact, a drink or two a day is good for you - protecting against heart disease, stroke and some forms of gallstones.

But heavy drinking and binge drinking can be a precursor to diseases of the heart and liver. More than 4,000 Britons die of alcohol-related liver disease every year - 1,600 of them women. Excess drinking is also associated with breast cancer and pancreatitis.

Safe drinking limits are 14 units a week for women and 21 for men. A unit is equivalent to one glass of wine or half a pint of beer, or a single pub measure of spirits. The average Cosmopolitan (11/2oz of vodka, 3/4oz Cointreau) equals 2-3 units.

When drinking exceeds the recommended guidelines, the risk of heart disease is increased. Women drinking more than 15 units a week are twice as likely to have high blood pressure, which could lead to a heart attack.

There's also the worry of putting on weight. Even if you stick to the recommended limit of dry white wine, you can easily consume an extra 6,000 calories per month. This equates to a monthly weight gain of 2-3lb.

Smoking

In the last series, Carrie became engaged to the nonsmoking Aidan Shaw - and kicked the filthy habit. But prior to that, she was a packet-a-day girl, shortening her life by about 14 minutes every 24 hours. Every year in Britain, 121,700 people die through smokingrelated diseases - cancers, chronic lung diseases and coronary and circulatory diseases.

Smoking is very bad for the skin, causing wrinkles around the lips and on the cheeks and lower jaw.

By giving up smoking, Carrie has reduced the rate of decline in lung capacity.

Within three to nine months of giving up smoking, coughs, wheezing and breathing problems will improve as lung function is increased.

After one year, the risk of a heart attack will fall to about half that of a smoker. Within ten years, the risk of lung cancer will fall to half that of a smoker,and within 15 years, the risk of a heart attack will fall to the same as someone who never smoked.

Promiscuity

Sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV are on the increase in Britain. In fact, the incidence has doubled over the past five years.

But more terrifying is the disease chlamydia. Two partners in one year is enough to increase your risk of getting it.

Chlamydia is the most common sexually-transmitted infection. It can be treated (with a course of antibiotics), but its detection is particularly difficult.

The problem is that often, unless there are complications, it presents no symptoms - and treatment can sometimes be too late to prevent permanent damage. Infection can damage the fallopian tubes, which take eggs from the ovaries to the womb. This can lead to them becoming blocked and, in turn, result in infertility.

Diagnosis of chlamydia involves a simple urine test, but the symptoms are very nonspecific: a change in vaginal discharge or mild lower abdominal pain.

Promiscuity also increases the risk of cervical cancer. Having sex without a condom increases your risk of getting the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV), which can develop into cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is most common among the over 50s, but it can affect all age groups. Regular smear tests to detect changes in cells should pick it up early and allow successful treatment.

Stress overload

Samantha and Co are on stress overload - due to their hectic lifestyles.
One in five people in Britain say they are either 'very' or 'extremely' stressed at work. It is one of the biggest causes of ill health in the workplace, making half a million people unwell every year.

Stress - be it at work or in the home - affects everyone differently, but the main symptoms are depression, anxiety and difficulty sleeping, resulting in constant fatigue.

People will get headaches, backaches, skin rashes and even ulcers. In more severe cases, stress is known to increase your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.

Victims of stress can also become emotional cripples, and physiologically old and run down long before their time. This not only affects their health, but also threatens jobs and family life.

Many people cope with stress by turning to alcohol. This can help you feel better in the short term, but only because alcohol is an anaesthetic.

The best remedy for stress - along with regular exercise, cutting out caffeine and eating a sensible diet - is the ability to talk to friends.

'Be aware of the pressure you're under - at work, in a relationship, or at home - and don't feel embarrassed to talk about it,' says Dr Naab Al-Saady, director of preventative cardiology at the Department of Cardiological Sciences at St George's Hospital Medical School, London.

'Talk to friends or family about how you feel. This can help to reduce anxiety, and so reduce the risk of coronary disease.'

If it all gets too much, then you should seek help from an outside professional. A stress counsellor will be objective about your life situation and can help sort out the particular anxieties that have led to the stress syndrome.

Lack of sleep

These girls never seem to sleep - yet sleep is essential to regenerate the body physically and mentally.

Most people sleep for 6.5-8.5 hours per night, but there's no magic number that defines 'normal': some people really do need 12 hours a night.

Failure to get enough sleep leads to irritability and loss of concentration. It can also affect your ability to do complex but monotonous tasks such as driving. There is evidence that chronic sleep deprivation can cause your physical health and immune function to suffer.

The Sex And The City lifestyle - smoking, drinking and lots of caffeinated drinks - can disrupt sleep patterns, and cutting them out altogether will make a huge difference.

If you've had difficulty sleeping for more than a month, see your GP. You may be referred to a sleep disorders specialist, who will perform tests to help define specific problems.

Dieting

Carrie is no poster girl for nutritionists - her enviable figure may well be due to a habit of skipping meals.

Make sure you eat regular meals, and have only the occasional, healthy snack.

Eating speeds up your metabolism, so a wholesome breakfast is essential not only for energy but also to 'wake up' your body and prepare it for the day ahead. Skipping meals may lead to overeating, because you become so hungry that you snack on whatever is closest at hand.

A healthy diet means eating a wide variety of foods from four main food groups: bread, other cereals and potatoes; fruit and vegetables; milk and dairy foods;and meat, fish and alternatives.

In restaurants, ask for salad dressings and sauces on the side, so you can control how much you use.

High heels

High-heeled shoes could end up seriously cramping your style. By wearing killer heels, woman are in danger of permanently harming their bodies.

'High heels look fantastic, but they shouldn't be worn on a day-to-day basis,' says podiatrist Anne Stephens from Harrow Foot Health Clinic.

'For everyday wear, your shoes should be no more than 2in high, preferably with some sort of fastening over the instep of the foot. Buckles or laces are brilliant.

'Shoes that don't have this kind of support can cause problems. Pressure is put on the toes, which, in the long term, can cause bone problems. Short-term, it causes blisters, corns and sore feet.'

Many women who wear high heels all the time experience lower back pain. Also, the Achilles tendon can shorten over time, causing a loss of range of motion in the foot and leading to pain when walking.