I am a firm believer in we each are captain of our own ship. There's a weight line I consider too heavy for me. I once went beyond it and immediately took steps to get below it. Which I did and I've never been back.

I do recognize that some people have conditions which make it nearly impossible to control their own weight. I believe those are rare, but I'm not sure.

True Steve, But some ships have holes in them and others have faulty rudders. All ships are not created equal.

I believe it is very easy to control one's weight. It is eating a healthy diet of grains, meat, veggies, fruit, nuts. Avoiding transfat, fast food, high carbs, high fat.

I eat a simple ceral w/ mike and oj for breakfast, mid morning snack of fruit, nuts. Lunch is tuna or a chicken breast, mid afternoon is more fruit or some protein from hard boiled eggs,  or nuts. Dinner is a mix of meat 6 oz, veggies, rice or some other type of carb.

I drink lots of water, a glass of wine most days, diet Pepsi.

I still have a 31" waist and my body fat has never been above 12%.

As simplistic as it may seem, obsessive, compulsive overeating disorders which lead to obesity are controllable with either self or professional help or both.

First, one must recognize and admit the problem, have the desire to be healthy and the self discipline to adopt a sensible dietary regimen.

The recognition part is simple enough when you realize that you are outgrowing your clothes.

The treatment part may not be so easy, but weight and fat gain are certainly manageable.

Treatment extremes include self induced bulimic activity and gastric bypass surgery.

The bottom line is, sans rare systemic causes, weight gain for the vast majority of over eaters is directly proportionate to caloric intake (the more you eat, the bigger you get) and personal choice.

Proper dietary discipline may be a tough choice, but it is a personal choice nonetheless.