What is drunkorexia?
Drunkorexia or alcohol anorexia is a serious eating disorder that involves planning caloric intake in such a way as to leave oneself ‘free’ to consume alcohol – in other words, replacing food with alcoholic beverages. The name of this disease emerged in 2008 and is – in simple terms – a combination of anorexia and alcoholism.
Alcohol and “empty calories”
Alcoholic beverages provide the body with so-called “empty calories” because, apart from their energy value, they do not contain any nutrients. The calories in alcohol are not insignificant – 1 gram of pure ethanol contains as much as 7 kilocalories, while 1 gram of fat has 9. 7 kilocalories may not seem like much, but consider that an average of 20 grams of pure alcohol is contained in beer – and that’s a total of 140 additional, worthless calories, plus the energy from the other ingredients in the beer – so the average half-liter bottle contains a total of 200-250 kcal.
As a result of the high calorific value of alcohol, people suffering from a fear of weight gain and obsessed with calorie counting, who do not want to give up alcoholic beverages, replace certain meals with drinks to avoid exceeding the strict calorie limits they have set. They therefore often consume alcohol on an empty stomach, thereby amplifying its effects, since the consumption of alcoholic beverages on an empty stomach increases their toxicity. This behavior has serious health consequences and can also lead to alcoholism.
Drunkorexia – negative effects
As a result of restricting food intake with significant consumption of alcoholic beverages, mineral and vitamin deficiencies occur, which in turn can cause a number of conditions, including fatty and cirrhotic liver, pancreatic disease, osteopenia, heart or brain stroke, and dehydration. In addition to the health consequences, drunkorexia can lead to social and family problems: damaged reputations, job loss, relationship breakdown, and even indecent and risky behavior, committing misdemeanors or even crimes such as driving while intoxicated.
Why replacing meals with alcohol does not slim you down
Apart from the dangerous consequences for health, such a procedure makes little sense in terms of the weight-loss effect. Since the compounds responsible in the body for neutralizing alcohol are also involved in breaking down fat, burning fat (and detoxifying the body) becomes a priority after alcohol consumption. Thus, the breakdown of fat tissue is slowed down. Besides, alcohol consumption causes blood sugar levels to drop and interferes with the liver breaking down glucose and releasing it into the bloodstream. When blood sugar levels drop, a feeling of hunger arises and under the influence of alcohol, the motivation to observe the calorie limit is reduced and it is then easier to reach for an unhealthy snack. In such cases, the sufferer may force themselves to vomit in order to rid their body of excess calories, in which case we are dealing with alcohol bulimia.
Drunkorexia – who is most commonly affected
The problem of drunkorexia particularly affects young people aged 18-14, especially women – they are twice as likely to be ill as men. Its incidence is common in college students. It is thought that the causes of this condition may be:
- low self-esteem and lack of self-confidence
- a personal predisposition to alcoholism and/or eating disorders
- traumatic experiences in the past
- stress related to learning or starting a job
- entry into new social groups combined with the loss of parental control
- peer pressure to drink alcohol
- social pressure to look attractive and slim
Drunkorexia is a serious and complex condition that is difficult to diagnose and requires specialist treatment, which combines eating disorder therapy and alcohol rehab.
Bibliography:
Drunkorexia – current state of knowledge: http://www.psychiatriapolska.pl/uploads/onlinefirst/Szynal_PsychiatrPolOnlineFirstNr236.pdf