What exactly is Drunkorexia ?

Drunkorexia is a relatively new condition and terminology in the field of eating disorders. Despite what the name implies, drunkorexia is a slang term that defines and describes a decrease in eating for the purpose of consuming more alcohol. In this case, the intake of food is replaced with alcohol. In other words, you are eating less and drinking more whereas the technical side is that you are substituting the calories from food with the calories from alcohol.

Interestingly enough, the disorder is so new that you are not apt to find it yet in any medical journals that help to diagnose health problems and mental disorders. The only current statistics that are available suggest is that the number of 18 to 24 year olds that drink more by skipping meals is around 30% of that age groups population. Our guess is that this is probably a favorite practice of college women and sorority sisters. Ironically, the patterns of binge-drinking among women now match those of men.

Why has it become so prevalent in this female age group?

As was implied in the section above, the typical female that is referred to as a drunkorexic is a college aged woman that is also a binge drinker. She starves herself throughout the day so she can drink until she gets drunk in the evening. Although drunkorexia is not an officially recognized term for diagnosis, several media have mentioned it. Anorexics replace food with alcohol while bulimics will try to purge away the calories they ingested when drinking alcohol.

Why it has become so prevalent in this female age group is not completely known as yet. A recent Lehigh University study revealed that many females change from very confident women to ones with a bad body image, poor self-confidence, and low self esteem. They are striving to have those skinny female bodies that the guys define as being “fun” girls. Additionally, the stresses that result from trying to get along with friends and achieving good grades are also an integral component of drunkorexia in this age group.

The dangers of drunkorexia

Suffice it to say, drinking alcohol without ever eating is extremely dangerous. Blacking out into unconsciousness and extreme nutritional deficiencies can occur when you only drink alcohol and do not eat. Alcohol nutrients cause deficiencies in minerals and vitamins while the person is risking becoming an alcoholic in the process. This can also result in a higher distribution of fats throughout the body which can eventually lead to the onset of liver problems, obesity, and pancreatic cancer.

For more information about drunkorexia and how it can be treated, contact the Harmony Grove eating wellness center today at the telephone number listed above.