17 million people are compulsive shoppers?

That is according to a 2006 survey that was quoted in this Newsweek article that also focuses on how even some of those who are considered compulsive have changed their shopping habits.

I found some additional articles about the original study, one that also might be of interest is this one if you are curious as to how many people the study involved:

In the spring and summer of 2004, researchers conducted a national, random-sample telephone survey and interviewed 2,513 adults about their buying attitudes and financial backgrounds.

Compulsive shoppers, who were generally found to have incomes of less than $50,000, commonly reported that they had stretched their credit lines almost to their limits. Respondents suffering from the disorder also said that they were four times as likely as other respondents to make the minimum payment on their credit card balances.

Flashing back to the future, part of the Newsweek article:

What would you tell someone who wants to spend more during a recession because of the sales?

I would say that they've got to realize that they will never get enough of what they really need. They have to tease out what it is they're really shopping for. How does this function in their life? What's the underlying reason, how did it all start? What triggers it in the present? What are the consequences? There's a whole host of things they've got to explore. What I would also say is leave your credit cards at home, figure out what your danger zones are and don't go near them. But if somebody is so bent on buying something because it's so cheap, [they're] not going to think about that.