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Drunkorexia: Drinking And Not Eating

Not eating before drinking alcohol is something young people have been doing for years but now there’s a slang term for it — drunkorexia.

College campus health facilities are starting to take a closer look at the problem and how to curb the dangerous fad.

“‘Oh I’m going to drink my dinner tonight,’ is a common phrase for beer drinking,” said graduate student Nancy Taff.

It’s risky behavior done mostly by women.

“I’ve known people in my own life that have said ‘Oh if we’re going out tonight and I can’t eat because I’m going to have too many calories from drinking,'” said graduate student Dawn Epperson.

The new name for drinking alcohol on an empty stomach, drunkorexia, is spreading.

“They try to compensate so that it doesn’t add on those extra calories from drinking to their normal, daily eating habits,” said college junior Becca Seeman.

They also find it’s a cheap, quick way to get drunk.

“What happens is that since they haven’t eaten they get drunk really, really fast … get sick and it kind of spirals out of control,” said Taff.

Studies show women who heavily or binge drink are twice more likely to have eating disorders than those who drink infrequently or don’t drink at all.

“Drunkorexia is not a medical term. This is something that has just been coined in the last couple of months,” said Director of University of Minnesota Health Service Ed Ehlinger.

The practice is a big concern for those trying to prevent destructive health behaviors on campus.

“This really puts you sort of in a double whammy. If you don’t eat … and drink alcohol to excess, you’re going to put yourself at risk for all of the problems of alcohol and all of the problems of eating disorders at an enhanced level,” said Ehlinger.

Even some women with friends who skip food for booze know how harmful it can be.

“You can’t cut out nutritional calories for empty calories just to get drunk,” said Eppperson.

Drunkorexia can lead to liver and other medical problems and put women at a higher risk of sexual assault and injury.

source: WCCO

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