Researchers found socially subordinate female rhesus macaques over consume calorie-rich foods, resulting in accelerated weight gain and an increase in fat-derived hormones.

The study is a critical step in understanding the psychological basis for the sharp increase in obesity across all age groups since the mid-1970s.

This is the first study to show how food intake can be reliably and automatically measured, thus identifying the optimal animal model and setting for future obesity studies.