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Women suffering eating disorders to chase the image of a 'perfect' body have been in the realm of society's sub-conscious for time immemorial. And, for decades there have been hundreds of reports against the "thin is beautiful" message sent across by media, subliminally. From reducing food intake to completely quitting food, many women have done almost everything to stay thin. Children as young as 8 years are falling victim to eating disorders such as anorexia.

The latest method undertaken by young ladies is that if they consume alcohol they skip meals. The condition is termed as "drunkorexia."  The phenomenon, most common among university students is a result of the conflicting pressures faced by them, to drink with friends and to also stay slim.

The women simply skip meals on the night of heavy alcohol consumption. They starve for binge drinking.

Researchers at the University of Missouri questioned college students and found that 16 per cent of those surveyed restricted calories (by avoiding food) to 'save them' for drinking.

"Apart from depriving the brain of adequate nutrition, consuming large amounts of alcohol can be dangerous. Together, they can cause short- and long-term cognitive problems including difficulty concentrating, studying and making decisions," Victoria Osborne, assistant professor of social work and public health was quoted as saying by Mail Online.

According to her, a woman's body processes alcohol in a different way than a man's body does, and hence it puts women at more risk of damaging their vital organs.

Starving and binge drinking could be a harmful combination which could lead to serious eating disorders and alcoholism, risky sexual behavior and chronic diseases in later life, the researchers said according to the report.