Health

Health: Drunkorexia

PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ― In health, the pressure to be thin and "in" with the party scene has created a recipe for disaster. Medical Reporter Stephanie Stahl has details.

Swapping out a meal for a martini. It's a dangerous new trend for a growing number of young women who are exchanging calories, alcohol instead of food.

It's being called drunkorexia.

"You know at the extreme, drunkorexia can lead to people being so badly nourished that their abilities to function cognitively and emotionally is impaired," said Dr. Douglas Bunnell, from The Renfrew Center outside of Philadelphia, which is world renowned for treating eating disorders.

A 21-year-old student, who wants to remain anonymous, admits she's had food issues for years, but says things got worse when she went away to school.

"I think it was more just, there was more social interaction with other people and I just, we were going out more so I had to watch what I was eating when I was going out," said the anonymous student.

Alcohol is known to be fattening and loaded with empty calories.

A cosmopolitan, the popular so called girl drink, can rack up 250 calories.

For the drunkorexic, it's a daily game of calorie trade-offs.

"Beer was like, you don't drink beer unless you like haven't eaten all day," said the anonymous student.

Doctors say drinking alcohol instead of eating can lead to deadly problems including liver and brain disease, and dehydration.

"I know some girls who, they'll replace some of their drinks with things they think are more nutritious, like Bloody Marys, 'cause it has like tomato juice in it. They think that can replace a meal," said the anonymous student.

"My concern about the drunkorexia phenomenon is that it starts people on a pattern of disordered eating that can push them in the direction of a formal disorder," said Dr. Bunnell.

Experts say younger women are especially vulnerable to social pressures to be thin and drink.

"In college, if you struggle with the food and the drinking, that's your life, that's who you are rather than the school, that's kind of on the side," said the anonymous student.

Experts say people with eating disorders are also more prone to abusing drugs and alcohol.

If you know someone who might be struggling with drunkorexia, you can contact the National Eating Disorders Association Helpline at 1-800-931-2237.


RELATED LINKS:

Drunkorexia Information
National Eating Disorders Association
The Renfrew Center

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