Food and alcohol disturbance in a broad age-range adult sample

• Published in: Eating behaviors : an international journal Vol. 41; p. 101510
• Main Authors: Moeck, Ella K., Thomas, Nicole A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2021
• Subjects: Eating disorders; Health risk behaviors; Substance use disorders; Substance use disorders; Health risk behaviors; Eating disorders
• ISSN: 1471-0153; 1873-7358
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2021.101510

Food and alcohol disturbance involves restricting, purging, or excessively exercising to compensate for the calories consumed from drinking alcohol, or to enhance intoxication levels. But these compensatory behaviors, colloquially termed “drunkorexia,” have only been investigated in young adult samples—primarily college students—who are presumed to be at risk due to their high episodic drinking rates. Therefore, this study sought preliminary evidence that food and alcohol disturbance occurs in a broader age-range sample of adult drinkers. We recruited 253 participants aged 18 to 76 (Mage = 38.71) from Mechanical Turk. Rates of food and alcohol disturbance (measured by the Compensatory Eating Behaviors in Response to Alcohol Consumption) were high: 64% of the sample endorsed performing at least one compensatory behavior in the past three months. There were no gender differences in overall prevalence, though men were more likely than women to engage in food and alcohol disturbance to enhance intoxication levels. Drinking habits, drinking motivated by conformity, and abnormal eating attitudes were the strongest predictors of food and alcohol disturbance. However, eating attitudes were a stronger predictor of these behaviors in men than women, whilst drinking habits were a stronger predictor of these behaviors in women than men. The high prevalence of food and alcohol disturbance in our broad age-range sample, alongside the far-reaching health consequences of these behaviors, highlights the need for increased awareness in younger, middle, and older adults alike. •Food and alcohol disturbance (FAD) is not restricted to young adults.•No gender differences overall or in weight control motivated FAD.•Men more likely to engage in FAD to enhance intoxication.•Drinking motivated by conformity might uniquely predict FAD.