Why can't a bulimic 'just stop'?

Why can't a bulimic 'just stop'?

I think for two or three reasons primarily. One, an essential reason due to the nature of the problem. I feel an eating disorder is a regulatory problem, it is a self regulatory problem with a medical and physiological and biological cause, so I think that presents a challenge within itself. So a young woman with bulimia has an extra challenge for self-regulation, or self-management, that is - they can't ride the bicycle without hands, they have to have their hands, so there is that aspect. Secondly, once behaviour becomes established, the behaviour becomes habitual, it becomes a habitual mode of dealing with something, so we get the habit cycle. The third is that the behaviour is owned by the self and it becomes my way of doing things, this is my way of handling, and that often can be, of course, a resistance to treatment and a resistance to change. There may a fourth in that the behaviour is somewhat secretive and it is therefore away from outside influence. So I think that these are the things that contribute to the lack of change. Embarrassment also, in terms of the behaviour being unusual and atypical, and so on.