Drinking, smoking pot and porn are good for you: you’re welcome

If you’ve already broken your New Year’s resolution by reaching for a cigarette, being too hungover to make it to the gym or failed to give up coffee, you can cut yourself some slack. Esquire writer Jeff Wilser’s new book “The Good News About What’s Bad For You” uses science to argue the case for everything from eating McDonald’s to drinking bourbon.

Related: Tools to keep your New Year’s resolutions on track

If you turn the book upside down, you also get “The Bad News About What’s Good For You,” which uses science to point out that some healthy habits like using a standing desk, eating kale and joining CrossFit aren’t the be all end all that people tend to think. But because it’s more fun to be bad, we highlight what he has to say about some popular vices here:

Drinking whiskey is good for you

In his book, Wilser points to a 2005 study that found that the ellagic acid in single malt whiskies destroys rouge cells, warding off cancer. It also has zero sugar, sodium and cholesterol. When you look at it that way, it’s healthier than a can of Diet Coke. Wilser also looked at a recent Denmark study who compared people who exercised and drank moderately, exercised and didn’t drink, didn’t exercise and drank moderately, and didn’t exercise and didn’t drink. The healthiest group were exercisers who drank moderately. And the unhealthiest: the group that didn’t drink or exercise. So there.

Related: Drink (or not) to your health: Wine, tea and energy drinks

Most doctors approve of your pot smoking habit

Many doctors might be hesitant to publically endorse smoking marijuana, but Wilser found that on WebMD, the majority of doctors acknowledged the medical benefits it can have in treating certain medical conditions. What’s more, former Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders said marijuana is not physically addictive. That said, Wilser interviewed respected Harvard Medical School’s Dr. Jodi Gilman who stressed that it is absolutely NOT OK for teens to smoke pot as their brains are still forming. So keep this vice to yourself and not your underage friends.

Related: Are New Yorkers smoking pot and having sex in public more than ever?

Stop watching porn incognito

For many, getting caught watching porn — whether it’s by a significant other, parents or roommate — can be shameful, but Wilser argues that it totally shouldn’t be. He found that a 2007 study of 650 men found that whether they watched porn or not had no affect on their sexual fulfillment and relationship satisfaction. Also, science has found that masturbation (or frequent orgasms) is linked to lowering the risk of prostate cancer for men and endometriosis in women.

Related: Here’s a look at America’s pron habits: When they’re doing it and who’s doing what

Follow Emily on Twitter: @EmLaurence