Drunkorexia: an emerging trend in young adults

Several studies demonstrated an association between alcohol consumption and unhealthy food habits. Particularly, in young adults it has been observed the tendency to use extreme forms of weight control as a way to compensate planned binge drinking.

A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 4275 healthy subjects (43.9% males; 56.1% females), aged between 18 and 26 (mean age 22.04). The survey investigated socio-economic characteristics, drinking habits with a specific focus on binge consumption, abnormal eating behaviours and psychoactive substance use.

34.1% of the overall sample reported to limit their calorie intake before drinking, with no significant gender difference. A significant correlation was found between drunkorexic attitudes and, respectively, binge drinking behaviours (p < .01), use of cocaine (p < .01), and use of Novel Psychoactive Substances (p < .01).

Our data identified drunkorexia as a common behaviour among Italian young adults. Raising awareness on drunkorexia may help health care providers to timely address and approach its possible short- and long-term consequences.

Level V (descriptive study).