Runner's High

I have great admiration for the journalist Nicholas Kristof.  He doubted WMD in Iraq.  He focused his attention on genocide in Dafur. His columns dissect the issues of poverty, gender and health. 

He is also a self proclaimed pathological runner. Loves running. "Was he" he wondered "addicted to running?"  "An exercise addict"? 

Clearly, it seems to me,  if one is going to boast an addiction, it should be for something good for you, like running. Admitting to being addicted to, oh, drugs and alcohol, doesn't have the same cachet, nor yield the same reactions. 

Since I know that running is a way more healthy addiction than, let's say, chocolate or alcohol, addictions of choice of most everyone I know, what's the reason we do one rather than the other?

Apparently, scientists know that deep within the brain there are areas of pleasure and addiction. "Pleasure centers." The scientists conclude that '.brain circuitry of the pleasure centers rewire to have the body steadily ratchet up the quantity necessary to provide the same high." 

Lay's potato chip slogan "bet you can't eat just one," was written with this concept in mind, it would seem.

What's confusing to me is where does the guilt circuitry reside? 

In the meantime, scientists will continue to work on new tools to aide in the fight of drug, alcohol and obesity addictions. Sex addictions, too.

We'll all be healthier, but will we be having a good time?