Starving themselves, cocktail in hand

Skipping meals in order to save calories to consume more alcohol – a pattern of behaviour called drunkorexia – is becoming worryingly popular Pasta or pinot grigio? A healthy meal or a half pint? As the weekend arrives, these are the questions considered by a drunkorexic – someone who skips meals so they can binge drink without putting on weight. The preferred option is usually the liquid one. Drunkorexia is a phenomenon which can be traced back to the cocktail bars of New York in the 1960s. A recent study in the United Kingdom revealed that more than one in 20 women in Britain admit to skipping meals or eating less to drink alcohol. This poll of 2,000 adults, carried out by YouGov and funded by drugs company Lundbeck, showed that only 23 per cent believe their health would improve if they cut down on drinking. Of the respondents, 840 were female drinkers and of these, more than one in 20 admitted to skipping a meal or counting calories because they were drinking alcohol or planning to do so later in the evening. Experts warn that alcohol contains ‘empty calories’ offering no nutritional value. Swapping food for spirits could starve the body of essential vitamins and potentially...