Drunkorexia: Fad or Fatal?
Gain insight on the hybrid eating disorder that is affecting females of all ages
Alcohol, vital to some and nauseating to others, often is a part of a college student and/or adults life style. People drink for many reasons: to be social, to tolerate a football game, to loosen up, to relax after a long day. But alcohol can be abused, and it can become a habit that negatively affects a persons health and relationships with others. When alcohol abuse is combined with an eating disorder such as anorexia, it becomes another serious concern. The hybrid disorder is coined as drunkorexia, and is affecting young adults all over the country.
The Univeristy Health Services at the University of Texas explain the disorder as the following: "As a slang, non-medical term, Drunkorexia refers to someone who restricts food calories to make room for alcoholic drink calories. Others may purge their food and alcoholic drink to avoid the calories. Despite the known risks of these behaviors, studies have shown that 30% of women between 18 and 23 diet so they can drink. " Although the sickness is not medically defined, those who are "drunkorexic" are taking part in high risk behavior
The UHS at U of Texas outlines four major risks of drunkorexia. They are as listed:
Drinking on an empty stomach gets you drunk faster, which in turn reduces your self-control and predisposes you to make bad decisions
Binge eating may also be experienced because the person is extremely hungry and may be unable to control their urges