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A story in The Atlantic  Monday reported a study that documents binge eating and compulsive overeating triggered by changes in brain chemistry.

For years, I have been teaching that compulsive overeating is an addiction and that it is not simply a poor decision by people who don’t care about themselves, that it is compulsion driven by biological forces, disordered brain chemistry. I’ve said that in most cases there is some sort of addictive process at work. I’ve been successful helping people lose weight permanently because I teach therapeutic technique that helps them to gain control of addictive behavior, rather than just teach about diets and exercise.

In a study published in the scientific journal Current Biology, it was shown that when a portion of the brain associated with habit and cue- response was stimulated with a drug, animals that previously exhibited “normal” eating behavior increased their consumption of chocolate by 250%. This in turn resulted in an increase of the brain’s endorphins, an opium or heroin relative that is the most notorious of addiction creators.

For years, while I was out of control and obese with my overeating, I knew that changing things was not just a matter of making up your mind. I knew that something more than will-power was needed to solve the problem. It was not until I studied addictions and behavioral medicine that I was able to lose the excess weight and keep it off. Now, here is proof that some people who are overeating and obese are dealing with something the dietitians and personal trainers just have no knowledge of. I always knew they were clueless when they insisted they knew enough to help with their simplistic approach of diet and exercise. Now, here’s proof. For some of us, its Neurochemical, like chemical addictions.

So, if you’ve struggled with self-control, cravings, inability to stay with a healthy diet and all the misery associated with that and being overweight, here’s proof that you have a problem that most have not acknowledged or understood. You have a problem similar to the toughest chemical addictions known to man. Is it caused the chemicals they put in our food? Is it the stuff they put in the junk food the food companies peddle? Do we need to know exactly what the cause is to solve the problem? No.

We don’t have to have all the answers to solve the problem. Regardless of the reasons we do what we do, we can change. But the solution is not just a matter of “making up your mind”, “deciding you want it bad enough”, or to “just stop eating too much, for heaven’s sake”. You will need to get serious and learn about and apply behavioral medicine for addictions, like the Therapeutic Psychogenics I teach.

Believe me, if a pill comes along that will correct the brain chemistry and remove the eating compulsion and addiction, I’ll be the first to promote it. But if I were still waiting for that, I’d still be over 300 pounds instead of my ideal weight for the last 25 years. Don’t wait for a drug cure, even though there is now proof that the problem lies in brain chemistry. You can solve your problem today with behavior therapy designed to control addiction.