The Walt Disney Company last week announced plans to restrict junk food commercials on its television programs aimed at children. A few days before, Mayor Michael Bloomberg took steps to restrict the sale of supersized sugary drinks in New York.

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A growing body of research is finding intriguing connections between personality traits and habits that can lead to obesity. The same parts of the brain that control emotions and stress response also govern appetite, several studies have shown. Early life experiences also set the stage for overeating years later, researchers have found.