It's all in your genes

Apparently having the gene for drinking other people under the table, and the gene for alcohol dependence aren't necessarily linked.

"Individuals with a set of genes that predisposes them to drink moderate amounts of alcohol may still have the genetic predisposition to lose control over their drinking behavior, and perhaps become alcohol dependent. Conversely, individuals with a genetic predisposition to drink high amounts of alcohol may not have the genes that predispose them to become dependent."

But another thing they found was interesting to me, too.

"They found that the rats' drinking behavior was linked to the pleasure and reward pathways in the brain and also linked to some of the same genetic systems that control satiety and appetite for food."

Is this why we have a propensity to eat and drink and be merry in large quantities? I mean, I can't stop drinking when I start, and I can't stop eating, either. Is my body predisposed to not recognize fullness because I have a gene that let's me drink more than others? Is there a gene for abstinence? Such interesting studies I keep coming across.