It could be argued that the magnitude of the odds ratios describing the association between familial alcoholism and obesity, even among women, is not exceptionally large. However, our main finding is the change in the magnitude of this association between 1991–92 and 2001–02. It should be noted that the measurement uncertainty inherent in a brief, self-reported assessment of familial alcohol problems would likely bias effect size estimates downward. The fact that we observed a highly significant change in these odds ratios for women, and a suggestive trend for men, over the relatively short period of ten years, could have significant implications for understanding obesity in a sizeable subset of the population. If there is a portion of the population whose eating behaviors are more “addiction-like” than others, then characterizing such individuals could aid in the individualized treatment of obesity. Pharmacological and psychosocial interventions modeled on addiction treatment may be indicated in such individuals.
