Losing weight and feeling great, Northrup drinks alcohol with some of his new friends. Inset: Northrup before his significant weight loss.

Food addict turns alcoholic; gains popularity, social acceptance

"I can't tell you how good it feels to have that monkey off my back," Northrup told reporters from his Sarasota home Tuesday. "As long as I'm drinking, my urge to eat is simply gone. It's so liberating to no longer have a vice controlling my life."

Frequently pulling large belts from a pint of Canadian Mist whiskey, Northrup described the experimental treatment's effects: "I used to get really depressed and upset with myself after consuming excessive amounts of food, but that doesn't happen when I drink. In fact, drinking makes me feel really good, like it gives me a natural high. I sleep better at night, and I no longer feel compelled to induce vomiting [after overeating]."

Northrup's liberation came in late August when, struck by the underlying message of a provocative Budweiser television commercial, Northrup experienced what is often described as 'a moment of clarity.' The commercial - which depicted thin, good-looking men draining cans of the popular beverage while effortlessly attracting droves of scantily clad females - inspired Northrup to refocus his compulsion.

"I tell you, it wasn't easy putting down my pizza, getting out of the recliner and actually doing the work," Northrup explained as he climbed a small stepladder and began sifting through the empty bottles occupying his liquor cabinet. "Finding the motivation to leave the apartment and walk to the liquor store was the hardest part."

"From there it was just baby steps," Northrup said, becoming increasingly agitated with his inability to locate his medicine. "I started off just trying to drink one beer a day until I felt comfortable. Then I went up to two a day, and so on. And look at me now - losing weight and feeling great. I can polish off a case of beer in two sittings. Food is the farthest thing from my mind."

"You didn't by chance bring any booze with you, did you?" questioned a slurring Northrup just moments before losing his balance and falling to his tiled kitchen floor, where he remained motionless - and more importantly, not at all hungry - for nearly 16 hours.

Northrup's longtime friend Keith Butler is amazed by the treatment's results. "Alan used to be really shy, but drinking really seems to boost his confidence level," Butler said. "After a few drinks, if you try to tell him he's wrong or that he should do something differently than he does, he's ready to come to blows in defense of his actions or words. He's just so confident in himself."

Fifty pounds lighter and enjoying newfound reserves of euphoria and confidence, Northrup said his habitual alcohol consumption has not only impeded his compulsion to overeat, but dramatically increased his social popularity.

"People used to treat me differently because of my weight problem," continued Northrup during a second interview. "I was looked down at; people would ask me how I could condone poisoning my body like that. Socially, I was an outcast - until I started drinking alcohol like everybody else. Now I'm in with the in crowd."

Aided by the legal depressant's ability to lower inhibitions and encourage outgoing behavior, Northrup has enjoyed great success in establishing personal friendships with others who like to consume alcohol on a daily basis. Hoping to parlay this effect, Northrup plans to begin using other drugs to both augment the treatment of his food addiction and meet new people who share a common interest.

"I've heard both cocaine and ecstasy make you not want to eat," Northrup said. "And I think buying, selling and using those drugs could expose me to new circles of friends."

October 2001