Why Diets Fail: The 7 Different "Obesities" Hiding Behind Your Weight Gain
posted on: February 14, 2026. posted in: Weight loss, Dieting
We've had a question on the fan page...
"So if someone’s overweight what SHOULD they do to lose that weight then???!!"
The short answer?
You need to find what's causing your weight gain in the first place, then resolve it. In much the same way as you don't lose the flood in your kitchen by mopping, you lose it by finding and fixing the leak, you don't lose the weight by dieting, you lose it by finding and fixing the leak - the underlying cause of your energy imbalance.
Below is the long answer, to help you find your unique underlying cause.
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Obesities, Not Obesity
A useful way to understand obesity is to think of it as “obesities” (plural). Much like cancer isn’t one disease but many (each with its own causes, symptoms and treatment) obesity also has multiple subtypes. Treating it as one thing leads to failure, blame and shame. Understanding its diversity opens the door to much more effective solutions.
Here’s a brief outline of the different types of obesity...
1) The High Food Noise Type 📢
Driven by heightened hunger signals, reward sensitivity and constant thoughts about food. Often linked to ultra-processed food, disrupted satiety hormones and dopamine-seeking behaviour. GLP-1s can be highly effective here because they reduce food noise and increase fullness. Maybe think of this type like a leak coming from your fridge.
2) The Trauma / Stress Type 😫
Driven by chronic stress, unresolved trauma, or a nervous system stuck in survival mode. Fat gain can act as a protective buffer, emotionally and physically. This type is less about appetite and more about safety. Imagine a radiator under really high pressure and stress, producing a different kind of leak to the one from your fridge.
3) The Fatigue / Burnout Type 😰
Driven by chronic exhaustion, sleep debt and the constant go-go-go of modern life. The body slows down to conserve energy, often reducing spontaneous movement and increasing cravings for fast fuel. This is like that tired, worn down, dripping pipe, that's eroded and in desperate need of replacement.
4) The Hormonal Imbalance Type ⚖️
Driven by conditions like PCOS, perimenopause, insulin resistance, thyroid issues or elevated cortisol levels. These shift where and how the body stores fat, making fat loss more difficult regardless of calorie intake. A bit like that faulty plumbing in your dishwasher that makes it spray water on the floor, instead of at your dishes.
5) The Over-Restriction / Dieter Type 🤐
Driven by a history of chronic dieting and calorie restriction. The body has learned to expect famine and responds by growing fat stores and increasing binge eating behaviour. When a plumbing system is deprived of the water it needs to run healthily, sometimes the rebound effect can produce a flood.
6) The Neurodivergent / Sensory Type 🧠
Driven by sensory sensitivities, executive function challenges, and routine-based eating. Common in ADHD, autism and other types of neurodivergence. It’s not about willpower, it’s about systems that support regulation. This is like that timer on your heating system that isn't set properly, and needs a bit of fine tuning.
7) The Socioeconomic / Access Type 💷
Driven by poverty, lack of access to nutritious food, safe environments for movement, or time to cook and rest. Obesity here is an outcome of environment and inequality, not individual failure. That person who can't afford to maintain their pipes is far more at risk of leaks further down the line.
And here's where it gets even more complex...
Many people live with more than one type of obesity at the same time. Someone might be burned out and neurodivergent. Traumatised and hormonally imbalanced. Living with high food noise and a body that is primed for fat gain after decades of slimming club memberships and dieting. The more of these types of obesity you live with, the higher your set point weight will become.
It's a very similar situation to someone who has a leak coming from their fridge, a leak coming from their dishwasher, a leak coming from their heating system, and so on. If you can understand that the flood on your kitchen floor will grow the more leaks there are, your weight and level of obesity will grow the more types there are. It's not uncommon for me to meet and work with people who have all 7 types going on above, meaning there's a lot of leak fixing to be done.
GLP-1 medications might reduce your weight a bit, by resolving the High Food Noise Type, but do nothing to resolve the Trauma / Stress Type, that may require more deeper work and healing. Strength training can massively help with the Hormonal Imbalance Type, but not if you're living with the Fatigue / Burnout Type at the same time, as that needs fixing first.
This is why blanket solutions fail, and why different people respond to the same treatment in vastly different ways.
When I'm not ranting about slimming clubs deliberately causing leaks to profit from mop sales, I work as a plumber.
I go in.
I find the leaks.
I deal with the biggest leaks first, and the smallest leaks last. But often addressing the biggest leak is enough to produce a significant and sustainable weight loss.
Liam x
Rebelfit
p.s. If you have questions you'd like answered anonymously on this blog, or if you'd like help finding your unique type of obesity, feel free to email me at liam@rebelfit.co.uk 🙏
