Drunkorexia On Rise in Women

Drunkorexia isn't an official medical term, reports the New York Times, but the disorder is on a growing list of afflictions that combine societal acceptance of substance abuse and pressure to be thin. Drunkorexics, who are typically college-age women, shun food to prevent weight gain and to offset the calories they consume in alcohol.

“There are women who are afraid to put a grape in their mouth but have no problem drinking a beer,” said one expert. Studies show that binge drinking and alcohol abuse are increasing among women, and many are simultaneously combating substance abuse. Researchers are now investigating if eating stimulates the same pleasure centers in the brain as drugs or alcohol. (More eating disorder stories.)