There “drunkorexia” (Or “alcoholorexia“), you know? It is simply a fashion consisting of”deprive yourself of food,, A cocktail in hand“. An extremely dangerous practice, as Dr. Gérald Kierzek, medical director of True Medical reminds us.
“Drunkorexia”, a dangerous form of fasting
The term “Drunkorexia” evokes a practice born in the early 2010s on campuses of American universities. Concretely, this mode – combining eating disorders (TCA) and excessive alcohol consumption (Tual) – allows you to stay thin, while doing (a lot) party. Journalist Sarah Kershaw, author of an article on this subject in the New York Times,, Confirms: this voluntary fast, adopted by students, limits weight gain linked to alcohol consumption.
By jumping a meal before drinking, young people hope to minimize alcohol -related weight gain and enjoy its effects faster. Sometimes students are also vomiting before, during and after an evening, to evacuate the calories ingenious. But this well -established strategy has many risks, “Especially among young people“, warns Dr. Gérald Kierzek. Here are those to know.
Drunkorexia: real risks
Because it combines the dangers linked to TCA (nutritional deficiencies, metabolic disturbances …) and those linked to alcohol (poisoning, behavioral disorders, risk of addiction …), Drunkorexia is a behavior to be avoided absolutely, recalls the emergency doctor.
“”Drinking on an empty stomach exposes the body to toxic effects accentuated with alcohol: Drunkenness occurs faster, and the risks increases clearly. Without food to slow down absorption, alcohol quickly passes into the blood. The body receives a metabolic shock that disrupts the brain, the liver, the heart and the digestive system “, specifies the medical director of True Medical.
On the side of the effects, they prove to be multiple and varied:
- Hypoglycemia: “The lack of food intake associated with alcohol consumption can cause a drop in blood sugar levels leading to discomfort”;
- Nutritional deficiencies: “Young people in” Drunkorexia “often present serious deficits in vitamins, minerals, proteins, essential for growth and brain metabolism”;
- Digestive and liver disorders: “Vomiting, gastritis, early liver lesions or hepatitis are the most frequent disorders”;
- Depression, anxiety, cognitive disorders: “The association between malnutrition and alcohol increases the risk of mental disorders, concentration and memory disorders, even severe depression”;
- Brain and heart lesions: “”LMalnutrition coupled with alcoholic toxicity can cause irreversible damage to the brain and the heart “;
- Increased risk of intoxication: “”Without prior feeding, the risk of ethyl coma or acute poisoning is considerably increased“.
“In summary, Drunkorexia has accumulated dangers related to eating disorders and excessive alcohol consumption. It therefore requires medical and psychological care”, concludes Dr Gérald Kierzek.