Drunkorexia On The Rise

Drunkorexia

The term drunkorexia is the word used to describe the condition of binge drinking combined with the typical self-imposed starvation seen with anorexia nervosa. It has also been used to refer to individuals who use purging or who have other eating disorders and try to reduce their calorie intake to help compensate the calories they consume while drinking alcohol. The person described as a drunkorexic is usually a college-aged young woman who is a binge drinker, starving all day in order to get drunk at night. Without gaining any weight.

Why do Young Women Participant in Drunkorexia

Some young women consume alcohol to calm down before eating or to ease the anxiety of having indulged in a meal. Others consume alcohol as their only source of calories. Both of which are very unhealthy. Doctors are concerned that with the amount of young woman who do this to themselves.

Eating Disorder and Alcohol Abuse

When a young woman is diagnosed with drunkorexia, they are also diagnosed with substance abuse and need treatment for both conditions. Just because it appears to be limited to young woman that does not mean that older, women and even men are participating in this type of behavior as well.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/fashion/02drunk.html