How’s this for a scary trend? Apparently some college-aged women follow what’s being called a “drunkorexic” diet that involves binge drinking and then offsetting those calories by not eating. Stats show that about 30% of 18-24 year old women now participate in some form of drunkorexia. So why are so many women doing it? Well, the desire to be skinny can compete with a person’s desire to participate in the social scene. Dr. Douglas Bunnell, director of outpatient clinical services for the Renfrew Center, said to The New York Times, “Binge drinking is almost cool and hip, and losing weight and being thin is a cultural imperative for young women in America. Mixing both is not surprising, and it has reached a tipping point in terms of public awareness.” Can you say dangerous? The calories in alcohol lack any nutritional value and are hardly a supplement for, you know, food just aren’t the same. And how in the hell do these people pass up a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich when they wake up with a nasty hangover? [NationalEatingDisorders.org]
