College women face more scrutiny than their male counterparts when it comes to gaining weight from excessive drinking. Some companies have found a way to cash in on this stigma by creating alcohol marketed specifically toward the insecurities of women.

A disturbing trend of combining drinking and dieting — especially prevalent among college students — was brought back under examination in a March 27 article of The Atlantic.

The author and other health experts are concerned with diet alcohol advertisements, such as Skinny Girl Cocktail, that use the tagline, “Drink like a lady.” They claim this marketing tactic could further incite teens and college students to engage in a dangerous practice referred to in academic journals as “drunkorexia.”

Eating less to get drunk faster is the basic logic of “drunkorexia.” For many college students, the cost-benefit analysis can seem appealing, despite the health risks. Drinking on an empty stomach requires less alcohol to get drunk because alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream faster.

Drinking less alcohol to get intoxicated not only saves a lot of money, but calories, too. However, this logic fails to consider the detrimental effect drinking on an empty stomach can have on the body, such as blacking out. This form of binge drinking is becoming more extensively researched as its frequency increases.

Adam Barry, a professor of heath education and behavior at the University of Florida, examined 22,000 college students in 40 universities for research published in the Journal of American College Health.

In his study, he found that students who had practiced disordered eating and exercised vigorously were 20 percent more likely to have five or more drinks afterward. Barry’s study demonstrates a correlation between being fit and drinking.

Syracuse University is no stranger to this situation. SU boasts a number of recreational facilities that are frequently utilized by students. Yet the school is also notable for its party scene.

In recent years, the Office of Judicial Affairs reported more than 100 cases of extreme drug and alcohol intoxication. Many administrators have also noted that SU students are consistently drinking above the national average, according to an October 2012 article by The Daily Orange.

This pressure to drink, combined with the desire to be fit, can sometimes send mixed messages to women on campus.

Skinny Girl Cocktails’ diet liquor can be seen as a way to balance the two sides, but at the same time, marketing alcohol as way to “drink like a lady” is problematic and sexist.

The way Skinny Girl Cocktails markets its products contrasts with the inspirational message of empowerment found on the company’s website: “Time to redefine just what it means to be a lady. Sure, a lady always says please and thank you … but a lady also knows what she wants, and isn’t afraid to go out and get it.”

There is a great disparity between the company’s message and the products it sells.

Skinny Girl Cocktails markets its liquor directly toward women, yet the company only sells diet liquor. It suggests women who drink without watching calories are not drinking like a lady.

If the company truly believes this, then “drinking like a lady” should not equate to drinking without gaining weight, like the website’s message suggests.

It is possible to be healthy and still drink in moderation to have a good time. Skinny Girl Cocktails’ marketing strategy reveals the need to promote healthier ideas of body image and alcoholic beverage consumption for women.

Rahimon Nasa is a sophomore magazine journalism and international relations major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter at @rararahima.

Published on April 1, 2013 at 1:55 am