Word of the Day: Drunkorexia
Eat, drink and be sorry.
People with drunkorexia adopt potentially harmful disordered patterns of eating, such as skipping meals or purging, to offset the negative effects of excess alcohol consumption (e.g., weight gain). Concerningly, research reported in Australian Psychologist found that 83% of female university students surveyed had engaged in drunkorexic behaviors over the previous 3 months. Nearly a third of students involved in the study were found to actively take part in this drinking-eating pattern at least 25% of the time. Such behavior can have serious physical and psychological consequences, including depression and nutritional deficiencies.
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD, is a James Beard Award–winning food journalist, dietitian and author of the cookbook Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sport + Adventure (VeloPress 2016). He has written for dozens of magazines, including Runner’s World, Men’s Health, Shape, Men’s Fitness and Muscle and Fitness.
