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Skinny Sipping
By Chelsea Derochea – November 1, 2011 5:30 PM ET
“Drunkorexic” is the non-medical term used to describe a person who saves their daily intake of calories for alcohol rather than food in order to maintain or lose weight and still party with the best of them. Female college students are typically the group of people who fall under the category of being a drunkorexic. But what makes college girls drunkorexic? It seems to be a mixture of the pressure to be thin and the party lifestyle in college. Stephanie Smith, a junior at Umass Dartmouth and a drunkorexic, says, “There’s constant pressure to be a size zero and every night there seems to be another party and then it’s like okay well, I wanna be able to go hard tonight but still look hot so if that means not eating, you better believe I’m not eating.”
Well, that obviously can’t be healthy. But for Stephanie Smith it is completely okay. “I don’t see it as a big deal,” says Smith, “Models don’t eat for fashion shows and for them looking skinny and doing good in the show is their high. Well, I don’t eat in college so I can party and look hot while I do a keg stand and that’s my high.” Smith explains how it’s not only okay, it’s normal. In fact, her friends that she lives with in college do the same thing as her. “Honestly it’s like the new trend like over half my friends in the dorms are definitely drunkorexics and so what if I’ve been sucked into it,” says Smith, “It’s not even a term but more like a lifestyle at this point and it’s one I see nothing wrong with.”
Smith thinks it is perfectly healthy and that being drunkorexic is just about being young and having a good time while looking good. Kayla Hunter, a student from Bristol Community College and a fellow drunkorexic, agrees with Smith. “I never thought about it but I totally count my calories all day and barely eat if I want to drink that night and usually it’s just a few crackers to munch on so I don’t get sick drinking,” says Hunter, “I just figured it’s part of being young but doing what you have to do to stay skinny too. Just thought it was normal I guess.” Hunter also explains that she has friends that do the same thing and that’s why she assumed it was normal. She never thought twice about what she was doing. And although there are no official statistics, Hunter may not be far off by thinking drunkorexic behavior is becoming the norm since CBS News states that experts believe drunkorexia affects 30 percent of 18-23 year olds around the world.
Drunkorexics don’t just have an eating disorder; they also drink an excessive amount. There are two things coming into play rather than one. And this seems to be common among college girls and spreading rapidly. Just like any disease, it doesn’t seem to discriminate either. Stephanie Smith’s suitemate, Heather Folger, explains, “Okay get this, I’m a friggen nursing major for God’s sake. I bet you wouldn’t expect that and I pass up food because the party later that night pops up in my head and I have to say no Heather do not eat that bagel. It’s either the bagel or the booze. Okay booze wins,” chuckles Folger, “I know its awful but it’s true and I for one know it’s so unhealthy but we just all still do it. We all want to be sexy but bad ass enough to drink all the guys under.” Folger explains that the strong need to party to such a great extent is because of the media and peer pressure. She watches a lot of Jersey Shore with her girl friends and says that they party all of the time just like them. However, unlike the Jersey Shore cast, she is in a highly competitive nursing program where a 76 is a failing grade and doesn’t have much of a life besides her school work and partying. This results in her and her friends not only craving alcohol from schoolwork stress but because it’s the only time they feel that the weight on their shoulders is lighter and they can let loose. “It’s tough being a college girl nowadays. I need to get all As, keep up my scores so I stay in the program, try to have as much of a social life as possible, and on top of all that, I want to look good. I want to feel pretty and skinny and have guys look at me when I walk in the room and it’s not just me that feels like this. We all do,” says Smith with pleading eyes like she feels the need to defend her actions.
Kayla Hunter, Stephanie Smith, as well as Heather Folger have admitted to all doing the same actions. They each wake up every day counting calories and write down or figure out their caloric intake, which usually ends up being about 100 from food throughout the day and use the rest for the alcohol they plan on drinking that night at a party. Concern for the amount of calories their consuming and their desire to keep thin, usually leads them to take shots throughout the night. Shots are desirable because they have fewer calories than a common mixed drink would and hit them quicker. By the end of the night, they usually have blacked out from the excessive amount of shots they have taken since their calories available allowed them to. Their friends admit to doing the same or very similar behavior. So, is this just another college fad or is this a dangerous epidemic that is rapidly spreading?
Well, that obviously can’t be healthy. But for Stephanie Smith it is completely okay. “I don’t see it as a big deal,” says Smith, “Models don’t eat for fashion shows and for them looking skinny and doing good in the show is their high. Well, I don’t eat in college so I can party and look hot while I do a keg stand and that’s my high.” Smith explains how it’s not only okay, it’s normal. In fact, her friends that she lives with in college do the same thing as her. “Honestly it’s like the new trend like over half my friends in the dorms are definitely drunkorexics and so what if I’ve been sucked into it,” says Smith, “It’s not even a term but more like a lifestyle at this point and it’s one I see nothing wrong with.”
Smith thinks it is perfectly healthy and that being drunkorexic is just about being young and having a good time while looking good. Kayla Hunter, a student from Bristol Community College and a fellow drunkorexic, agrees with Smith. “I never thought about it but I totally count my calories all day and barely eat if I want to drink that night and usually it’s just a few crackers to munch on so I don’t get sick drinking,” says Hunter, “I just figured it’s part of being young but doing what you have to do to stay skinny too. Just thought it was normal I guess.” Hunter also explains that she has friends that do the same thing and that’s why she assumed it was normal. She never thought twice about what she was doing. And although there are no official statistics, Hunter may not be far off by thinking drunkorexic behavior is becoming the norm since CBS News states that experts believe drunkorexia affects 30 percent of 18-23 year olds around the world.
Drunkorexics don’t just have an eating disorder; they also drink an excessive amount. There are two things coming into play rather than one. And this seems to be common among college girls and spreading rapidly. Just like any disease, it doesn’t seem to discriminate either. Stephanie Smith’s suitemate, Heather Folger, explains, “Okay get this, I’m a friggen nursing major for God’s sake. I bet you wouldn’t expect that and I pass up food because the party later that night pops up in my head and I have to say no Heather do not eat that bagel. It’s either the bagel or the booze. Okay booze wins,” chuckles Folger, “I know its awful but it’s true and I for one know it’s so unhealthy but we just all still do it. We all want to be sexy but bad ass enough to drink all the guys under.” Folger explains that the strong need to party to such a great extent is because of the media and peer pressure. She watches a lot of Jersey Shore with her girl friends and says that they party all of the time just like them. However, unlike the Jersey Shore cast, she is in a highly competitive nursing program where a 76 is a failing grade and doesn’t have much of a life besides her school work and partying. This results in her and her friends not only craving alcohol from schoolwork stress but because it’s the only time they feel that the weight on their shoulders is lighter and they can let loose. “It’s tough being a college girl nowadays. I need to get all As, keep up my scores so I stay in the program, try to have as much of a social life as possible, and on top of all that, I want to look good. I want to feel pretty and skinny and have guys look at me when I walk in the room and it’s not just me that feels like this. We all do,” says Smith with pleading eyes like she feels the need to defend her actions.
Kayla Hunter, Stephanie Smith, as well as Heather Folger have admitted to all doing the same actions. They each wake up every day counting calories and write down or figure out their caloric intake, which usually ends up being about 100 from food throughout the day and use the rest for the alcohol they plan on drinking that night at a party. Concern for the amount of calories their consuming and their desire to keep thin, usually leads them to take shots throughout the night. Shots are desirable because they have fewer calories than a common mixed drink would and hit them quicker. By the end of the night, they usually have blacked out from the excessive amount of shots they have taken since their calories available allowed them to. Their friends admit to doing the same or very similar behavior. So, is this just another college fad or is this a dangerous epidemic that is rapidly spreading?