Binge drinking, body image, and nutritional behaviors are often topics of
discussion associated with college-age women. While the harms and risks associated
with each of these are often discussed, cause and prevention is also given a significant
amount of attention. However, little discussion has been made in regards to the
combination of the behaviors associated with alcoholism and nutritional behaviors. This
paper uses rhetorical and discourse analysis and develops a working definition of the new
phenomenon in college-aged women being termed “drunkorexia.” Investigation of
various media publications finds considerable agreement as to what exactly drunkorexia
is, but variation in its prevalence among young women. In addition, this paper finds that
little academic and medical research has been conducted on drunkorexia, while such
investigations on eating disorders and alcoholism are extensive.
