In modern society, weight loss has been a significant challenge, mostly among youths and young adults. Since regular and uncontrolled alcohol consumption often leads to weight gain, most individuals develop various tactics to maintain a small body size and shape, even after the uncontrolled consumption in question. However, some of the tactics used, such as Drunkorexia, involve some risky behaviors. According to Hunt & Forbush (2016), drunkorexia behavior is by two social norms for youths, including thinness and alcohol consumption. As a result, the group in question often skips meals to conserve calories to consume alcoholic beverages. Additionally, they consume extreme alcohol amounts to help them vomit previously ingested food. Unquestionably, this behavior is harmful to the victims' health and well-being. Consequently, there is a need to develop an effective solution that will help the current and future generations overcome drunkorexia. To effectively create this solution, a problem-cause-effect-solution organizational pattern is essential.
Problem
A combination of alcohol use disorder with disordered eating behaviors is hazardous. Drunkorexia is the restriction of food, calories, or carbohydrates prior to alcohol consumption. Consequently, individuals who participate in drunkorexia behavior skip a meal before consuming alcohol to offset calories. There are various risks related to curtailing food calories in favor of alcoholic calories (Hansen et al., 2017). An eating disorder combined with binge drinking poses a significant threat to a person's mental, emotional, and physical health. For instance, when an individual drinks alcohol on an empty stomach, they are likely to have overconsumption and a high degree of intoxication. As a result, the intoxication in question may inhibit judgment, increasing the risk of physical injury.
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Additionally, the process of metabolizing alcohol in the body increases the need for particular nutrients. Conversely, restricting food intake, as drunkorexia victims usually do, reduces the body's availability of nutrients. The combination in question is likely to increase the risk for nutrients deficiencies in the body (Ward & Galante, 2015). Most Drunkorexia participants also over-exercise, intending to compensate calories consumed from alcoholic beverages. Consuming alcohol after such workouts may inhibit muscle repair and protein synthesis. Consequently, the body experiences a slow recovery process and lesser potential fitness improvements. Excess alcoholic consumption limits decision-making capabilities and may predispose individuals to engage in unhealthy eating behaviors. Arguably, the prevalence of drunkorexia behaviors among young adults is concerning. Therefore, it is crucial to develop an effective solution to drunkorexia behaviors.
Social pressure, mostly within college-aged women and men, is one of the primary problems leading individuals to drunkorexia behaviors. Most of them fear gaining weight from uncontrolled alcohol consumption, thus participating in Drunkorexia. For instance, the University of South Australia (2020) found out that 28 percent of the female students who had engaged in drunkorexia behaviors regularly skipped meals, consumed low-calories or sugar-free alcoholic beverages, and exercised after drinking, which assist in reducing ingested alcoholic calories. Stress is another major cause of drunkorexia behaviors among young adults. Grey (2019) argues that excessive drinking is associated with an increased risk of undesirable academic performances, which is a primary cause of stress among college students.
Indisputably, a combination of excessive alcohol consumption and self-starvation may lead to an array of psychological and physical consequences. Unregulated alcohol consumption in a state of malnutrition is likely to predispose people to a higher rate of illness, violence, alcohol-related injuries, alcohol poisoning, and blackouts (Pompili & Laghi, 2018). Such drinking allows ethanol to reach the blood system relatively fast and raise the blood alcohol content at a relatively dangerous speed. As a result, the consumer becomes more vulnerable to alcohol-related brain damage. Besides, such drinking behavior can have a detrimental effect on hydration and nutrients and mineral retention.
Solution
Since the drunkorexia participants are college students, the school administrators and public health officials need to develop safer alcohol consumption practices. The program should encourage the victims to eat moderate portions of food throughout the day to avoid overeating. Likewise, such patterns ensure that the body has the important nutrients it needs. Besides, the programs should advise the drunkorexia participants to limit their drinking to control caloric intake. Additionally, measures should be set to regulate the social pressure influence (Pompili & Laghi, 2018). Furthermore, professional assistance from specialists experienced in eating issues and alcohol use is a crucial solution to the drunkorexia behavior.
Conclusion
In conclusion, drunkorexia behavior has been one of the major problems of young adults in modern society. Most youths and young adults skip meals before consuming alcohol to maintain their small body size and shape due to social pressure. However, such behavior is dangerous since skipping meals curtail nutrition calories essential for body functionalities. As a result, drunkorexia behaviors are likely to pose threats to participant's emotional, mental, and physical health. Consequently, a program to educate the youths and young adults on safe alcohol consumption practices should be developed. The government should also set measures in place to regulate the social pressure influence. Alcohol use and eating disorder specialists should educate the youths as part of the drunkorexia behavior solution.
References
Grey, H. (2019). What you should know about 'Drunkorexia' dangers. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health-news/concerns-grow-over-drunkorexia
Hansen, J. M., Simons, R. M., Simons, J. S., & Hovrud, L. (2017). Drunkorexia: Normative behavior or gateway to alcohol and eating pathology? PsycEXTRA Dataset . https://doi.org/10.1037/e511302017-001
Hunt, T. K., & Forbush, K. T. (2016). Drunkorexia scale. PsycTESTS Dataset . https://doi.org/10.1037/t55315-000
Pompili, S., & Laghi, F. (2018). Drunkorexia among adolescents: The role of motivations and emotion regulation. Eating Behaviors , 29 , 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2018.01.001
University of South Australia. (2020). Binge drinkers beware, Drunkorexia is calling: Around 1 in 3 female students report saving calories for binge drinking episodes . ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/05/20051
Ward, R. M., & Galante, M. (2015). Development and initial validation of the Drunkorexia motives and behaviors scales. Eating Behaviors , 18 , 66-70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2015.04.003
