A night of heavy drinking often brings on the “drunchies” — or drunk munchies, in case you’re not up on the latest slang, and that means salty, fatty and all-around unhealthy food. Giant burritos. Half a pizza.
In a new study, researchers observed the drunchies in a sample of college students to better understand how drinking affects what they eat, both that night and for their first meal the next day when, most likely, they’re hung over.
“Given the obesity epidemic and the rates of alcohol consumption on college campuses, we need to be aware of not only the negative effect of alcohol consumption, but also the impact it has on what people are eating while they are drinking,” said Jessica Kruger, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor of community health and health behavior in the University at Buffalo’s School of Public Health and Health Professions.
Studies on the effects of drinking and diet are scarce, Kruger said. And eating more unhealthy foods following alcohol consumption is an often overlooked behavior in traditional addiction research.