title: Obesity and its relationship to addictions: is overeating a form of addictive behavior?
abstract: Obesity is a major public health problem and notoriously difficult to treat. There are many parallels between obesity/overeating and addictions to alcohol and drugs. This paper discusses similarities between obesity and addictive disorders, including common personality characteristics, disruptive behavior syndromes, and brain mechanisms. Although there are important differences between overeating and other addictive behaviors, an addiction model of overeating may effectively inform prevention and treatment of obesity.
authors.affiliation: University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030-3944, USA. barry@psychiatry.uchc.edu
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barry
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: Nancy M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Petry
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006963:Hyperphagia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D013694:Temperament
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D020738:Leptin