In fact, obesity has been associated with compulsive eating and binge eating disorders, each of with is independently linked to major depression. However, these disorders are forms of food addiction, a behavior typified by a loss of control over the amount of food consumed, whether on a consistent basis or in the form of binging. Up to now, it has been predicted that over 30% of persons seeking medical treatment for obesity are binge eaters, as are 50% of persons seen in nonmedical weight-reduction programs. Additionally, binge eaters often desire and subsequently overindulge carbohydrates, avoiding foods that are protein-rich; perhaps two-thirds of all obese persons are carbohydrate cravers (Thoenen, 2002, p. 16). Furthermore, people tend
