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I really don't know all that much about these disorders but I've seen both happen in my immediate family. From that along with my limited research, I would put obesity into a similar disorder category as anorexia. The two people in my family who had these disorders were each on the verge of having organs shutting down and risking death.
I feel bad for people struggling with either of these issues. For both people in my family, they seem to have gotten it under control and are on a healthier path now, though this took significant medical and therapeutic interventions.
As far as my two boys at home, now 12 & 13 yrs old, they've both had problems with being too overweight. My older boy is now into team sports at school so he's managed to get into shape over the last year; the younger guy is struggling with it. When he says he's still hungry I advise him that it's OK to feel hunger pangs and that if you endure it for a short while your body adjusts and then you'll get on a roll in the other direction. I'm still not sure why my boys are struggling with this since my wife has always been slender and I'm not overweight...partly I think it's our unorganized helter-skelter approach to eating. Instead of sitting down at a regular dinner table, we fit the stereotypical family on the run, too busy, eating in front of the TV, etc.
As far as how I was raised, nobody had to force me to eat anything since I always loved all sorts of foods. I usually ate everything, took more, then ate what others left. When I was a teenager I was heavier than normal but far from obese; then as I got over 20'ish I got slim but I still love see food...if I see it I eat it.
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