Compulsive eating is governed by the hippocampus, which is the center for memory and emotional responses, and the frontal cortex, according to researchers at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in NY.

The hippocampus also is involved in drug addiction. The researchers noted that even if a compulsive eater manages to lose weight, the brain activity isn't altered, which means the likelihood of overeating and regaining lost weight is high.

The findings could lead to new approaches to treating obesity.