What Happens to a Body Battling Obesity: Hormones, Metabolism & Real Biological Causes Explained
What Happens to a Body Battling Obesity
Happy Sunday,
In honor of Mother’s Day, I want to acknowledge something I see often...
Many people — especially mothers — spend years showing up for everyone else while quietly putting their own needs on pause. The late nights. The skipped meals. The stress. The constant care. Over time, it adds up — and health starts to take the backseat.
So if that’s been you — even in small ways — I just want to say thank you.
Thank you for all the unseen effort.
Thank you for your resilience.
If today feels like a good moment to turn a little of that care back toward yourself, you’re allowed to do that. In fact, I’d say it’s time.
If you’re someone who’s been carrying extra weight — maybe for years — I want you to hear this first...
It’s not just about willpower.
Obesity is a real, measurable medical and metabolic condition. It’s not about laziness or lack of motivation. And if it feels like your body is working against you, in a lot of ways… it is.
Today, we're going to look at what happens inside the body during obesity — from hunger hormones to metabolism to insulin resistance — and tools that can help bring those systems back into balance.
Let’s break it down together...
What Happens to a Body Battling Obesity?
Your body has a system — mostly in your gut and brain — that controls hunger, fullness, and energy balance. When everything’s working well, your body says:
“I’m hungry.”
“I’ve had enough.”
“Let’s move.”
“Let’s rest.”
But with obesity, these signals often go offline.
Here’s Why: Hormones Start Changing
Over time, the body becomes leptin-resistant — which means even when you have plenty of stored energy (fat), your brain thinks you’re starving. So you feel hungrier, especially for high-carb or high-fat foods.
At the same time, ghrelin — the hunger hormone — stays elevated, making cravings more intense and harder to satisfy.
And your metabolism?
It often starts to slow down.
Not because your body wants to punish you, but because it’s trying to conserve energy — a survival mechanism.
This is why weight loss can feel impossible. Your body is doing its job too well.
Okay, so what helps?
For some people, lifestyle change alone is enough.
For many, it’s not.
That’s where medications like semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic) or tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro) come in.
These medications mimic a hormone your body naturally makes called GLP-1, which:
- Tells your brain, "Hey, we’re full."
- Slows stomach emptying
- Improves insulin sensitivity
- Reduces cravings
In simple terms:
You feel satisfied sooner.
Cravings quiet down.
Your body starts following natural hunger cues again.
It’s not a magic bullet — but it’s a biological reset button that gives you space to change patterns that once felt impossible to shift.
What else matters?
Medication is one tool, not the solution.
Your body still needs:
- Protein and fiber to stay full and protect muscle
- Movement that feels doable (yes, walking counts)
- Sleep, which helps regulate leptin and ghrelin
- Stress reduction, because high cortisol increases fat storage
Every step you take rebuilds metabolic trust — not just weight loss.
One more thing I want you to know...
Obesity isn’t your fault.
But healing?
That can be your process.
Your choice.
Your comeback story.
If your BMI is over 30, or over 27 with a related condition (high blood pressure, sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes), then medications like semaglutide or tirzepatide may be an option worth exploring.
If you don't know your BMI, you can look it up here — I’ve created a calculator for you.
You don’t have to do everything at once.
You just have to keep going.
You don’t need to fix your body.
You need to work with it.
And I’ll be right here to help you do that.
