Vast Majority of Hoarders Overweight or Obese

Squirrel genes in humans - that has to be it.

In a new study of clinical hoarders classified as "high savers," 92% of the patients were overweight or obese. This finding suggests there may be an underlying genetic association with the dopamine system.

"This is much higher than the national rate of overweight/obesity," observed Daniel George-Denn, BA, of Binghamton University, Albany, New York, a research assistant working with Meredith Coles, PhD, a co-investigator of the study.

Hoarding is characterized by the obtaining of possessions, difficulty in discarding, and impairment stemming from physical barriers or distress. It has high comorbidity with diseases other than obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), particularly depression, and has serious effects on individuals, Mr. George-Denn noted.

High rates of obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 30) and overweight (BMI, 25.0 - 29.9) have been reported in clinically and nonclinically diagnosed hoarders compared with nonhoarders, and therapists have frequently observed an association.

Gotta be the dopamine.

Could never be poor impulse control.

Gotta drug them.

Not.