If you’ve ever found yourself skipping out on meals in order to save calories for alcohol, you may have been participating in what is being called “drunkorexia.”
Drunkorexia is when someone opts not to eat a meal knowing they will be drinking later. This practice could actually lead to an eating disorder. In a U.K. report, 40 percent of 25-34 year-olds fessed up to skipping meals in order to save calories for alcohol, while an Italian study showed 34 percent of those 18-26 had the same behavior. Since alcoholic beverages can be loaded with sugar and high in calories, this is how some people try to avoid excessive weight gain. For others, it’s a way to get drunker faster… and cheaper.
Instead of “drunkorexic” behavior, dieticians say try changing out heavier drinks for lighter ones, such as vodka with a spritzer. Or, alternate an alcoholic drink with a non-alcoholic drink.