What Is Drunkorexia?

There’s a new buzzword on campus. And while college students likely want to keep it under wraps, school authorities and health centers nationwide won’t let it go unnoticed.

“Drunkorexia,” a new slang term coined for people (mostly college-aged females) who substitute alcohol for food calories, applies to a wide spectrum of eating disorders -- including bulimia, anorexia, over-exercising, etc. -- when these behaviors are combined with binge drinking.

While drunkorexia is technically not a medical term, college health professionals are becoming increasingly aware and concerned about this relatively new eating disorder among students who starve themselves during the day to significantly reduce their caloric intake. Later in the day, they consume calories from alcohol as a primary source of sustenance. Binging and purging also manifest within this disorder, as students claim to consume pub food (pizza, French fries, etc.) late at night, only to throw it all up upon arriving home.

Faced with the pressure to remain thin, college students are using drunkorexia to keep weight off without sacrificing the binge-drinking habits common on many college campuses. Those who suffer from eating disorders and exhibit social anxiety tend to resort to drunkorexia because intoxication eases the pressure of social interaction.

Of the 10 million people who suffer from eating disorders, nearly 40 percent are shown to be young women, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. For college authorities, this means keeping a close eye on its students to ensure their mental and physical health remain intact. And since eating disorders are scientifically linked to underlying emotional issues like sexual abuse, neglect and anxiety, campuses are getting both administrators and health centers involved to curb this new diet trend with such measures as posting anti-binge-drinking campaigns and implementing stricter no-drinking dorm policies.