Inspired by exclusive FITNESS polls showing significant reader interest in this topic, as well as editorial concern, FITNESS explored the prevalence of and science behind overeating-and ended up breaking news about a largely overlooked federal study that found food addiction to be more powerful and tough-to-beat than anyone imagined. The study’s major finding-that morbidly obese people are less responsive to dopamine than normal-weight people, and, like drug addicts, require more and more of whatever gives them pleasure to feel sated-could dramatically change how people with food addiction are perceived and treated: According to one addiction-medicine expert interviewed for the story, half of the 300,000 Americans who die every year from weight-related disease were chemically hooked on food. Along with illuminating data and expert testimony, FITNESS provided hopeful stories from real women about overcoming food addiction as well as resources for treatment.
