Study: Overeating "Like Drug Addiction"

A new study published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, purports that for obese people, overeating is akin to drug addiction.

The study, conducted by a U.S. team on seven obese people, revealed the parts of the brain which controls hunger. The research demonstrates that the regions of the brain that controls feelings of saiety are the same as those in drug addicts who crave drugs.

Speaking to the BBC, lead researcher Dr. Gene Jack Wang said: "As soon as we saw these scans, immediately it reminded me of what we had studied in drug abuse when people were under a craving situation--the same areas in the brain lit up."

While the study was small, Wang maintains that it will help doctors and health care professionals understand the challenges of obese people everywhere, as well as give insights into possible treatments for obesity.