Abstract
We appreciate the spirited commentary from Drs. Kirschenbaum and Krawczyk, and additionally we concur this is an understudied and rapidly evolving area of inquiry. We respect and value the rigorous scientific peer-review process utilized by Childhood Obesity, and in this particular case, our article 1 was reviewed by five peer reviewers chosen by the editorial team. The consensus of the reviewers, our responses to their scientific evaluation, and the editor's decision to publish our article underscore the merit and value of our scientific work. Therefore, in this context and after reviewing some of Kirschenbaum and Krawczyk's work,2–5 we do not wish to engage in another lengthy “post hoc” rebuttal outside the scope of a juried review process. We welcome further dialogue and scholarly discourse regarding the topic of food addiction in forthcoming scientific venues that may support such a debate, as this has the high likelihood of expanding future work in an inchoate area of investigation that clearly warrants further study.