Drunkorexia is a slang term defined as starving oneself to save calories for binge drinking at a later time. This often occurs in college students who want to drink excessively but are afraid of gaining the ‘freshman 15.’ They believe if they save calories from not eating, they can drink as much alcohol as they want without gaining weight. This is a dangerous combination of an eating disorder, anorexia, and alcohol abuse.

Binge drinking is when a man drinks more than 4 drinks or a woman drinks more than 5 drinks in a short period of time. Binge drinking is common among college aged men and women during many social activities. Anorexia is a strong desire to lose weight by starvation. Binge drinking and anorexia each on their own are very harmful to the body, but together it can be life threatening.

Binge drinking while on an empty stomach can cause many issues. When there is no food in your stomach, the alcohol hits you that much harder. Drinking on an empty stomach can cause vomiting, extreme confusion, neurological damage or alcohol poisoning. Anorexia deprives your body of nutrients it needs to survive. Without them, your body cannot function properly and can start to deteriorate. Anorexia can cause extreme drowsiness, stomach pains and bone damage.

Although drunkorexia is not a diagnosable disorder, it is happening among young adults. Young adults should practice healthy eating habits and avoid excessive alcohol consumption.