You're right I've seen studies when mice binge-eat and become fat, but to my knowledge it's on high-PUFA chow, like in this study: doi.org/10.1371/journal… (21% total fat, of which 21% PUFA as opposed to 3% total fat for control). The control mice did not overeat. They even day that "it seems that the acute activation of the mesolimbic pathway [that makes mice overeat] is mainly mediated by the HFD [read "high-PUFA diet"] itself, rather than the eaten weight or the caloric content."

Now if you have other examples I'm all ears.

My guess is that there's probably some variation as you say, but none that would lead to the situation we have know.