Drunkorexia Whether the motivation is to save money or maintain a petite waistline, more and more young students are falling in line with the “Drunkorexia” trend, which is the absence of food consumption throughout the day in an effort to drink more alcohol.

According to the University of Missouri, one in five college students are swapping food for booze, but heavy drinking affects students in Canada, as well. Take for example Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, where in 2010, two students died from excessive alcohol intake.

University and college students are not the only ones participating in this popular diet, as although Statistics Canada shows that drinking among teenagers is down, binge drinking statistics for this age group have risen.

Coupling the severe health consequences of an eating disorder with the dangers of binge drinking is a recipe for disaster. With a brain depleted of nutrients and a high consumption of alcohol, students put themselves at risk for alcohol poisoning, dangerous sexual situations, and future chronic ailments.

Signs of Drunkorexia may include:

1. Excessive partying, more so than usual.

2. Skipping meals with more attention paid to calorie intake.

3. Rapid weight loss, though this is not a surefire sign of Drunkorexia, as some participants will binge or gorge the next morning in order to fight the effects of a hangover.

4. Cognitive functions seem to dwindle. Lack of focus exists, and school seems to be more difficult than before.

5. Tooth decay. Drinking on an empty stomach will increase the risk of vomiting, which coats the teeth in stomach acid and causes severe damage.

6. New behaviour surfaces, such as moodiness or depression.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2050486/Drunkorexia-Young-women-skip-meals-save-calories-money-drinking.html http://www.emaxhealth.com/8782/drunkorexia-5-signs-your-college-students-heavy-drinking-may-indicate-drunkorexia http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/Drunkorexia+growing+problem+campuses+research+suggests/5572827/story.html