Researchers from the University of Missouri questioned college students and found that 16 per cent of those surveyed reported restricting calories to 'save them' for drinking.
The phenomenon known as 'drunkorexia' is most common among university students.
The practice is three times more common among women than men, with women reporting they want to lose weight and spend less money getting drunk, the 'Daily Mail' reported.
Victoria Osborne, assistant professor of social work and public health said the practice was a toxic combination causing physical and mental damage and putting women at risk of alcoholism.
"Together, they can cause short and long-term cognitive problems including difficulty concentrating, studying and making decisions," she was quoted as saying by the paper.
Since women metabolise alcohol in a different way than men their vital organs are at more risk, she added.
Combining starvation and binge drinking puts young women at risk of developing more serious eating disorders or alcohol abuse problems, as well as in danger of alcohol poisoning, risky sexual behaviour and chronic diseases in later life, the researchers said.
The problem has been documented in American universities but it is feared to be becoming worse in Britain with young women feeling pressure to drink heavily yet stay slim.
