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Drinking and eating disorders could be linked, experts suggest

Excessive drinking and eating disorders such as anorexia may often go hand in hand and - more terrifyingly - unnoticed, experts have claimed.

Alcohol dependence is often used by young woman as an appetite suppressant, or alternatively, those on weight-watching programmes may save up their points during the week in order to get drunk at weekends, the Times reports.

Chief executive of the eating-disorder charity Foundations UK Mary Wood tells the newspaper: "There are so many ways in which the two work together - psychologically, physiologically and culturally.

"One thing is certain, however: all eating disorders are a way of coping with emotional pain and so is alcohol."

Research by Columbia University in 2001, entitled Food for Thought - Substance Abuse and Eating Disorders, suggested eating disorder sufferers are at a five times greater risk of substance abuse-related illnesses, including alcoholism, the newspaper states.

Substance abusers were also found to be at an 11 times greater risk of eating disorders during the research.

The news follows the announcement that a new UK anti-drinking campaign is set to target women between the ages of 30 and 50 - often the victims of what the Times has labelled "drunkarexia".

Article originally published on 25/03/2008 by DryOutNow.com, the alcohol specific website for Addiction Advisor

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