New research has revealed that giving up things we love such as chocolate, cakes, caffeine and wine for Lent has tumbled by 58% in the last 14 years. Harvey Bhandal, MD at alcohol reduction experts Sinclair Method UK, says: ‘Lent is a traditional Christian period of fasting leading up to Easter. This year, it began on 18 February and will continue until 2 April. As recently as 2012, 12% of UK adults gave up something for Lent, according to the research organisation YouGov. However, that figure fell to just 5% by 2023 where, according to our analysis, it remains. That’s a 58.33% decrease in the number of people observing Lent in less than 15 years. ‘In the US, the number of people who take part in abstaining for Lent has also tumbled in recent years. Just 24% of Americans now give up something for Lent, a marked change from as recently as the 1970s, when it was widely observed in many parts of the US. ‘Here in the UK, of those people who still give up something for Lent, 50% say they are temporarily giving up chocolate and sweets, 17% are stopping pub visits and alcohol and 10% are giving up fatty foods. The decline in the popularity of Lent has therefore given rise to fears that the long-term health of UK adults may suffer as a result. ‘However, while Lent is still significant for Christians, it has always been a flawed idea to use the 40-day period primarily as…
