Established 1826 — Oldest College Newspaper West of the Alleghenies

Editorial | Never drink without eating: Stop the calorie counting, stay healthy

Staff

A slice of your favorite Will's cheese pizza is around 350 calories. But so is a Vodka Tonic at Brick Street, by our best estimations - so which do you choose? There is a growing trend among Miami students to go with the latter and nothing else. Many would rather hear their stomachs growl and save room for alcoholic drinks than risk putting on a few extra pounds.

That's the thought behind "drunkorexia," which is the act of restricting food intake during the day in order to get drunk at night to eliminate the fear of gaining weight. From skipping meals to exercising excessively, some students will do just about anything to avoid that doomed beer belly.

The editorial board of The Miami Student believes drunkorexia is a dangerous habit. We believe this get-drunk-fast method puts students at a much greater risk for alcohol poisoning, blacking out and other high-risk situations. Although binge drinking is a regular occurrence at many colleges, including Miami, drunkorexic behavior intensifies the associated risks.

Since drunkorexia usually involves drinking on an empty stomach, it's easier to get intoxicated quicker throughout the night.

The motivation behind drunkorexia is often to keep your calories down during a night out. But for those trying to keep their figure, drinking your calories is neither a healthy nor effective way to stay thin. When the majority of your daily calorie count comes from alcohol, you miss out on the nutritional benefits of a quality meal.

Plus, you might just end up binge eating at the end of the night with less-than-healthy food items. It's inevitable: the hungrier and more intoxicated you are, the more tempting that Crunch N' Munch may sound at 3 a.m.

The next reason to avoid drunkorexic behavior has to do with the morning after. Yes, believe it or not, hangovers are significantly worse after drinking on an empty stomach.

Though the only sure-fire way to avoid hangovers is not to drink, eating food and drinking water before, during and after you consume alcohol will lessen any morning side-effect.

The "Huffington Post" recommends incorporating pickles, almonds, hummus, eggs, milk and asparagus into your lunch or dinner to ward off hangover symptoms.

The harms of this kind of practice go beyond one weekend's antics. "Psychology Today" states that an empty stomach leads to higher BAC levels and increases long-term risk for alcohol related medical conditions, including liver disease, diabetes and dementia.

Drunkorexia is especially a concern for Miami students as we try to combat the ongoing culture of drinking. This behavior is a dangerous blend of the two stereotypes that often dominate Miami's campus: physical perfection and top party school.

Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter

In the same place where students feel pressure to be skinny and maintain a certain image, going Uptown is also an extremely popular activity.

We've seen far too many so-called "Miami Girls" nibble at a side salad while knocking back martinis. This is something all students should avoid doing. So it's time to be smarter about partying, one well-balanced meal at a time.

Next time you're prepping for a night-out, don't leave the house on an empty stomach. It might just make your night that much more enjoyable and safe.