There is actual research that backs this up to those who would hand wave it away. If you go fat and stay fat for an extended period of time then go back to your pre-fat weight, your metabolism is not the same. A few hundred calories a day difference in metabolism will add up and you will simply have to eat less or exercise more than before you were fat if you don't want to gain weight. Mind you, most of the stuff I've read seems to indicate the difference is not enormous -- people aren't going to have thousand calorie differences. So, just leading a more active lifestyle than pre-fat maintenance or adding daily exercise should be enough to offset. The psychological/chemical changes from the addiction are far more of an obstacle, I would imagine. Still, most people who complain about gaining weight when they say they're eating right are probably not eating right (and there's plenty of studies supporting that reality). My mom used to complain about stuff like that when she was on some "diet" eating a bunch of salads where she used a shit ton of ranch dressing and feta cheese but thought because it was labeled "salad" it had to be okay.