Arguably, most individuals in modern society are struggling to maintain their body shapes. As a result, they develop various mechanisms to avoid weight gain. However, some of the tactics in question may pose some risks to their body, resulting in adverse effects. For instance, some young adults in the United States, most men and women aged between 18 and 23 years, exhibit drunkorexia behavior, which involves replacing meals with alcohol. Although the term drunkorexia is not clinically correct, individuals use it to refer to behaviors including purging food, excessively exercising, and skipping meals to negate calories consumed from alcohol drinking (Hunt & Forbush, 2016). Conversely, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) does not recognize drunkorexia as a formal alcohol abuse disorder nor an eating disorder. However, this behavior is widely recognized by the eating disorder community and mental healthcare as hazardous. Curtailing nutrition calories in favor of alcohol calories may pose a significant threat to an individual's emotional, mental, physical health (Hansen et al., 2017). For example, metabolizing alcohol upsurges the need for specific body nutrients while food intake restriction reduces nutrients availability. Subsequently, the combination increases the nutrient deficiencies risk. Nonetheless, these effects can be neutralized by finding a balance between the two actions and living a healthy lifestyle.
Problems
One of the primary problems that lead people to drunkorexia behaviors is social pressure. Most of the young individuals in modern society want to maintain a small body size and shape. As a result, they end up practicing drunkorexia behaviors as a way of maintaining a super-thin figure (Ward & Galante, 2015). Regular and uncontrolled alcohol consumption can lead to weight gain. Stress is another problem that can lead to drunkorexia behaviors. Similarly, most individuals who undergo a lot of stress find alcohol abuse as a more straightforward solution. Consequently, they might start practicing drunkorexia behaviors unknowingly.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Causes
In the recent past, bullying among young adults has been on the rise and in various forms. Some of the young adults often express humiliation about other people's body size or shape. Such practice is a form of bullying that results in severe emotional trauma, more so at a young age. Subsequently, some people use risk measures, such as drunkorexia behaviors, to avoid this form of bullying (Ward & Galante, 2015). Additionally, individuals under stress might develop the behaviors in question. Some of the common causes of stress include being under a lot of pressure, less control of a situation outcome, uncertainty, and overwhelming responsibilities.
Effects
Drunkorexia behavior is significantly associated with poor eating habits. Consequently, it may result in a high risk for vitamin depletion, dehydration, and other mental and physical health issues. Unquestionably, vitamins and minerals are crucial for preventing diseases and body development. Keeping the body hydrated is essential for good health. Subsequently, dehydration may cause headache, dizziness or light-headedness, low blood pressure, rapid heart rate and breathing, and dark urine. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that the body obtains the necessary macronutrients through diet. Other risks for alcohol-related health conditions include liver disease, osteoporosis, cardiac problems, diabetes, and dementia. Additionally, increased drinking and reduced eating habits may also lead to a binge drinking problem (Pompili & Laghi, 2018). Besides, drunkorexia behavior increases the risk of an alcohol abuse disorder or eating disorders, including bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and anorexia nervosa.
Solution
Developing a prevention program is one of the effective solutions for drunkorexia. Since most of the drunkorexia victims are college students, institution administrators and public health officials should develop safer alcohol consumption practices. Secondly, most individuals prioritize this risky weight control technique over health concerns due to social pressures. Therefore, having measures set in place to reduce such influence can be part of the solution. Additionally, the actions in question may help individuals realize that preventing alcohol effects is more essential than avoiding weight gain (Pompili & Laghi, 2018). Professional assistance from specialists with experience in both alcohol use and eating issues may help in preventing drunkorexia behavior.
References
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
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
