YUPPIE FLU

noun (Health and Fitness) A colloquial nickname for myalgic encephalomyelitis (see ME). Etymology: So named because it attacks high achievers (yuppie types), and mimics or follows an attack of flu. History and Usage: A popular nickname which reflects the scepticism of doctors and public alike about this illness until quite recently: see the entry for ME. Graham...told Mr Patrick Cuff, the coroner, that his mother had suffered for several years from ME--myalgic encephalomyelitis, known as Yuppie Flu. Daily Telegraph 8 Feb. 1990, p. 3 For many years, it has been called 'yuppie flu', because most of the estimated 1 to 5 million who suffer from the disorder are affluent professional women from 25 to 45. Chicago Tribune (North Sports Final edition) 19 Nov. 1990, p. 6