Drunkorexia: Eating less to drink more

by Adams Briscoe (Subscribe to Adams Briscoe's posts)
Jan 24th 2008 6:30PM

Categories: Healthy Habits, Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements

Have you ever heard of the slang term Drunkorexia? I hadn't either before reading this article on CBS outlining the trend seen among certain women on the party scene. Apparently the ladies they are referring to enjoy a good night on the town with alcohol, however they eat much less beforehand in order to reduce the chance of gaining too much weight.

Even though booze carries its fair share of calories, cutting back on substantial food to make room for alcohol is a bad idea. Nobody is saying avoid it altogether, but is it really necessary to starve yourself in order to party? The article cites a statistic saying 30 percent of females who have alcohol problems also have eating disorders too.

If this term has any shred of truth behind it, then that statistic probably isn't coincidental. Of course, the issue doesn't have as much to do with alcohol as it does with an obsession to be insanely slim. Hopefully some day society will stop putting so much emphasis on aesthetics and concentrate on the bigger picture.

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Comments (30)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Jane 1-26-2008 @ 2:17PM

I think these women have problems that are deeper than just wanting to lose weight and party hard. They need help before the alcohol abuse spirals out of control.

Karen 1-26-2008 @ 2:27PM

They're eating less so the alcohol will get them higher, duh. Drinkers are so unbelievably lame.

me, myself and that other crazy one 1-26-2008 @ 2:42PM

I know the intelligence of the writers of these oh-so-(in)accurate stories is questionable at best, but it's obvious that people eat less before drinking so they can get drunk faster! It's common sense which is out the window these days!!! Am I just imagining that people are becoming dumber by the day or is this the real deal? Someone please pinch me hard!

Heather 1-26-2008 @ 2:59PM

Maybe all of the previous repliers don't live in an insanely thin college town though. Here the girls definitely avoid eating to allow them to drink more without having to worry about the calories. Yeah, that also has the benefit of getting you drunk quicker. This also saves the girls calories since they can have fewer beers or whatever. I don't think it's the writers of these articles who lack common sense...

beentheredone that 1-26-2008 @ 3:09PM

Yes, I too have done that for more years that I care to admit. Years and years and years.............and no rich and famous husband, no million dollar estate, no Rolls Royce........only poor health to accompany my regrets

Rebecca 1-26-2008 @ 3:23PM

I agree with Heather...I don't think the writers are clueless here, I think the above posters are. I have definitely held back on my eating the day before a night of drinking in order to save the calories, not to get drunk faster. Sure, getting drunk faster is also an advantage--but again, because you save more calories by drinking less. It's really common for younger women to do this type of thing than people must realize.

PeaceInOurTime 1-26-2008 @ 3:39PM

"Maybe all of the previous repliers don't live in an insanely thin college town though"

BTW, yes, some of us have, but we grew up and didn't drunkenly kill anyone; are in better shape than college even 15 years later.

To the above quote, if that is what a college education is buying you (a lack of sane reasoning ability), then you are going have one tough time in the real non- insulated world. Good luck with that.

Lisa 1-26-2008 @ 3:40PM

this is more common then you think, i know a lot of naturally thin people do this so they get drunk faster and are able to maintain their weight easier. I also know this because I had a gastric bypass 6 years ago, and before I became sick and disabled with complications from it, I went to school to be a Certified Personal Trainer and and studied in great detail physiology, psychology and pharmacology to be also Bariatric Motivational Coach. A lot of people not all unfortunately become addicted to alcohol after surgery or some other type of addiction, its called cross addiction.
Unfortunately not only is it unhealthy whether you are naturally thin or lost weight and traded one addiction for another, drinking on an empty stomach has so many consequences, you don't make the best judgements as you did get drunk quicker, its terribly unhealthy and you risk especially damaging your liver as other consequences on your health both mentally and physically.
It would be great if we could live in a society that could talk about freely mental health/addiction issues as well as health issues. Hopefully someday that day will come.

Geoff 1-26-2008 @ 3:55PM

For more information on this and many other interesting topics, go to:

http://www.printnpost.com/authors/1724/Geoffrey-Weed

Linda 1-26-2008 @ 4:38PM

I can speak from personal experience--while it is a benefit to "save" on calories, not eating before drinking is mainly to get high quicker. Once I would eat, I'd usually stop drinking, and I'd use that as an indication that I didn't have a drinking problem!!

Finally stopped the madness. Haven't had a drink since 12/31/07. Quit smoking, too!

rrr 1-28-2008 @ 8:57PM

Congratulations on quitting smoking and drinking!
I quit recently too and one of the main reasons was because I want to lose weight and that's where most of my empty calories were coming from.
I tried cutting back my food intake to have more calories for drinking but this always backfired on a couple of levels.....1. I would still get hungry and eat anyway which didn't help me lose any weight and 2. I don't know about getting drunk faster but I ertainly got drunker than I would've with food in my stomach....sometimes with unappealing results.
I'm not sure why there is so much disbelief that cutting back calories would be a valid reason on cutting back on food.
Calories are calories; to maintain or lose weight, you need to take in a set amount of calories and if you like to drink, you are going to cut out something to make room for what you like.
Hasn't anyone eaten dessert for dinner? It's the same concept.

Mikey the Nail 1-26-2008 @ 4:50PM

Beauty is subject to the eccentricities of particular eras. Right now, thin is in. Who knows -- fifty years from now, maybe pudgy will make a come back.

As for alcohol consumption, as with anything else it's a question both of degree and knowing you're too old to act like a kid.

Thin young girls partying it up are just kids having some fun, and this article impresses me as an impressive attempt to create news where there is no news.

lhow 1-26-2008 @ 5:00PM

btw, drinking with less in your stomach makes you get more drunk. dont fall into this trap, cause it wont work.

Mark Manozzi 1-26-2008 @ 5:47PM

Poor babies...... then they complain when MEN put on too much weight!

Amanda 1-26-2008 @ 6:07PM

Look in all honesty I am one of these people. I've never seen an article on it before, but I was like wow this is me ! I don't eat before I drink because I get to bloated to drink and have fun, but I always eat after, might not be a ton of food like most would indulge because of the buzz, but yes you do get drunker ... kind of the point of going out. And nobody likes to wake up in the morning weighing 10lbs more! Sorry but its true.

Vixen 1-26-2008 @ 6:11PM

The human body needs fuel to run. The brain requires fuel especially. If we do not get fuel from the food we eat, because we are afraid of gaining weight, we sometimes lose control when presented with alcohol. Alcohol is a very efficient, fast-working fuel, and the brain will crave it instinctively. Blame it on society for demanding that every female stay thin.

nikkicookers 1-26-2008 @ 6:21PM

Yea it's totally smart to not overeat before drinking because when u eat more u can't get drunk, causing you to actually drink more which gives you more pounds and more alcohol for your little kidneys to do stuff too.

nikki cook
http://fitconnect.com/lilnicky1234

KB 1-26-2008 @ 6:48PM

I've done that, but they make it sound worse than it is. I make make my dinner smaller to make up for the second or third drink, or maybe not eat as much lunch. The thing is, I'm not starving, just cutting back and not getting drunk, just maybe catching a better buzz with the second drink. There's never a fourth drink. Everything in moderation!

dave T 1-26-2008 @ 6:50PM

If it keeps girls thin..then im all for it.

chris 1-26-2008 @ 6:50PM

Many Alcoholics and Drug Users are very thin. Their minds are clouded and their company is a trial to those of us who have to listen to them ramble on with stories that don't have a beginning or end.

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