According to a new study by the University of Missouri, drunkorexia-- i.e. drinking copiously without eating enough-- is not only a bad idea in the short term, but can also have serious consequences for your long term health.
"Apart from each other, depriving the brain of adequate nutrition and consuming large amounts of alcohol can be dangerous," Victoria Osborne, assistant professor of social work and public health at Missouri said in a press release. "Together, they can cause short- and long-term cognitive problems including difficulty concentrating, studying and making decisions."
More from the University of Missouri-Columbia::
People who participate in disordered eating combined with binge drinking are also more at risk for violence, risky sexual behavior, alcohol poisoning, substance abuse and chronic diseases later in life. Osborne says women are at higher risk for health problems related to binge drinking because they metabolize alcohol differently than men. This means women can get sick faster and suffer damage to vital organs sooner than men might.
Drunkorexia has been receiving more attention in the press, the LA Times pronouncing it a "growing trend" among college students last year.