Excessive Alcohol Consumption - Potential Danger or Fashionable Practice?

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It's said that alcohol is nothing but empty calories... For this reason, many people who plan to consume it limit their meals to avoid exceeding their daily energy needs... Although such behavior appears to be healthy, it may indicate a developing problem with excessive alcohol consumption.

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Alcohol dependence – Definition

Alcohol dependence is a relatively new term that has emerged only in the last few years. It refers to individuals who restrict the number of calories they consume from food in order to consume them in the form of alcoholic beverages. These individuals may suffer from eating disorders, alcohol addiction, or both simultaneously. Alcohol dependence is not recognized as a single disease unit. It is currently classified as anorexia by compulsive eating attacks or purifying alcoholism. However, individuals affected by this condition only restrict calories in situations preceding alcohol consumption. According to research findings, women and men are equally vulnerable to this disorder, although women are more likely to seek help from specialists. Alcohol dependence most commonly affects young people, especially students – according to research, approximately 40% of them report consuming alcohol more frequently than once every two weeks, and nearly 60% follow a reduced diet. Alcohol dependence is not only characterized by dietary restrictions, but also by excessive physical activity, the use of laxatives or forced vomiting (as compensatory behaviors). In the early stages, this usually occurs sporadically, but it becomes more frequent with increasing tolerance to alcohol and higher levels of addiction. Alcohol dependence is by no means a rare condition – according to research, in Australia alone, approximately 62% of individuals report restricting their calorie intake in favor of alcohol. One of the greatest challenges when diagnosing or attempting to treat alcohol dependence is determining whether the behavior is more related to addiction or a developing eating disorder. Some researchers argue that neither of these answers is correct, and that restricting food intake before alcohol consumption is associated with the desire to intensify the substance's effect on the body, particularly among young people.

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Causes of Alcoholism - Comprehensive Studies

The causes of alcoholism remain unclear, although there are several risk factors that may be associated with it. One of them is the inability to cope with stress in a healthy manner without resorting to alcohol consumption. Individuals predisposed to alcoholism often compare themselves to others and look for flaws in their own bodies, which is characteristic of all eating disorders (E.M. Hill, R. Ruark 2022). Furthermore, individuals predisposed to alcoholism are often excessively self-focused, have low self-esteem, feel isolated, and exhibit a tendency towards self-punishment (F. Laghi et al. 2020). Excessive concern for physical appearance can also be linked to a desire to reduce consumed calories, making it easier to drink more alcohol without fear of weight gain. High expectations from the environment - to be thin, look good, and spend a lot of time having fun - can also have a significant impact on the development of alcoholism. Individuals who refuse alcohol may be perceived as boring or unsociable, which leads young people to try to reconcile a good appearance with the possibility of drinking alcohol. Some experts suggest that anxiety disorders may increase the risk of alcoholism (F. Laghi et al. 2021). However, many scientists believe that the development of this disorder is related to a variety of factors - social, genetic, environmental, psychological - that can influence each other, making it difficult to identify a single primary cause (A. Purkiewicz et al. 2021). Nevertheless, compensatory behaviors such as vomiting or excessive physical activity are usually associated with guilt that arises after excessive alcohol consumption (K. Szynal et al. 2021).

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Alcoholism impacts the individual's wellbeing

Alcoholism is a phenomenon that combines dietary restrictions and excessive alcohol consumption. For this reason, the impact on health is ambiguous. Alcohol is a substance whose excessive consumption is rather socially acceptable, although it does not remain neutral to the body. At an individual level, too high ethanol consumption is associated with an effect on the brain, which leads to a decrease in memory and cognitive function. Alcohol affects the nervous system to a large extent depending on its concentration in the blood. The higher the alcohol concentration, the greater the impairment of attention and consciousness, as well as the prolongation of the reaction time. One of the factors that influence the concentration of alcohol in the blood is the amount of food consumed. Severe dietary restrictions cause ethanol to be absorbed more quickly, which increases the negative impact on health. Excessive alcohol consumption is also associated with more frequent risky behaviors, which can be life-threatening and lead to emotional instability. Restricting food intake and compensatory behaviors are also associated with a range of side effects. Ignoring hunger and satiety signals, combined with alcohol consumption, which increases appetite, leads to later problems with regulating these centers, resulting in compulsive eating. Long-term alcoholism leads to a weakening of the body due to the enhanced effect of alcohol and malnutrition. Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach also increases the likelihood of severe brain damage, hypoglycemia, disorders of the cardiovascular and immune systems, hematological and hormonal disorders (K. Szynal et al. 2021). Moreover, alcohol - especially on an empty stomach - irritates the gastric mucosa, which can lead to gastritis.

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Alcoholism – Is it Harmful?

Although alcoholism is typically downplayed not only by those affected but also by professionals, it can be extremely harmful to health due to alcohol abuse and restrictive nutrition. Most of the research focuses on studying students, leading to the misconception that it is only a transitional stage from which each person grows. However, there is only one study that also takes into account older people, but which confirms that the risk is equally high regardless of age (B. L. Griffin, K. S. Vogt, 2021). Due to the lack of classification of alcoholism, the diagnostic process and treatment are not fully standardized, and patients usually do not receive appropriate care. As researchers observe, the highest risk of this problem occurring is among people who focus on their figure and those who are constantly seeking experiences. However, there is still a lack of an appropriate questionnaire that would enable the detection of such connections, and it would significantly facilitate the work of specialists. However, it is worth noting that finding a balance is possible, and giving up meals is not necessary. It is also advisable to consider the level of alcohol consumption - many studies show that the long-term effects of alcohol on health are extremely harmful, and its administration can increase the risk of many cancers (J. Rehm, K. D. Shield, E. Weiderpass, 2020). Unfortunately, every portion of ethanol has a negative impact on the body, so the less of it in the daily diet, the better (R. Burton, R. Sheron, 2018). As one of the risk factors is also the inability to regulate emotions in a healthy way, it is worth finding adaptive methods. Writing a diary, talking to loved ones, or relaxation exercises can be helpful. It is also worth considering replacing alcoholic beverages with non-alcoholic beer or wine, which do not have a destructive effect on the body and do not cause addiction.

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