Drunkorexia - Exchanging Food Calories for Alcohol

Drunkorexia - Exchanging Food Calories for Alcohol

Drunkorexia is the new slang term for exchanging food calories for alcohol. The practice has become popular with college students, particular with female students.

"It’s a sensationalized term, but it’s a tangible idea for students," said Emily Hedstrom-Lieser of the Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco Education Office at the University of Northern Colorado.

Pam McCracken speaks to college students aboutalcohol abuse in her role as communications director at the Colorado State University Health Network. "They will think, ‘I’m drinking, therefore I don’t want to eat so much, so I’m going to have a mixed green salad and a Diet Coke,’" said McCracken. "I say, ‘Look, the day that you’re consuming alcohol is not the day to cut back on your calories.’"

A July 2009 study published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders found a link between binge drinking and eating disorders. The study authors said there is a "crucial need for early interventions targeting binge drinking among college-age women regardless of their current drinking status."

"Typically when someone comes in for treatment, and if they are diagnosed with an eating disorder, and they are abusing substanceshttp://www.thetreatmentcenter.com/dual-diagnosis/, they also receive a substance abuse diagnosis," said Felicia Greher, a psychologist in Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

A new survey released by the National Eating Disorders Association shows a shift in the public perception of eating disorders and their severity. Eighty two percent of those surveyed believe that eating disorders are a physical or mental illness that requires treatment. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, almost 10 million women and 1 million men suffer from an eating disorder like anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.