Hungry Genes?
Understanding Obesity Without Blame
Obesity is not simply a matter of willpower. Our genes, biology, hormones, environment and life stage all shape appetite, weight and the way our bodies respond to attempts at weight loss.
Hungry Genes? explains why some people feel hungrier than others, why the body often resists weight loss, and why obesity should be understood as a complex chronic disease rather than a personal failure.
Drawing on current science and clinical experience, the book explores appetite regulation, genetics, hormonal transitions, modern obesity medications and the rapidly changing landscape of treatment — while keeping the focus on one central idea: effective care begins with understanding, not blame.
It is written for anyone who has struggled with weight themselves, supported someone who has, or simply wants a clearer understanding of what obesity really is.
Why I Wrote
Hungry Genes?
Photo: Mikael Kaltiainen, Myy Agency
For years, I have met people who believed that their struggle with weight was a personal failure — that they simply lacked enough discipline, motivation or willpower.
But that is not what science tells us.
As a physician working in both women’s health and obesity care, and as a researcher, I have seen how strongly our biology shapes appetite, weight and the way our bodies respond to weight loss. Genetics matter. Hormones matter. Life stage matters. And our bodies are remarkably good at defending the weight they have reached.
At the same time, obesity science and treatment have changed enormously. We now understand much more about appetite regulation, the brain, metabolic adaptation and the biological mechanisms that make long-term weight management so difficult.
I wrote Hungry Genes? to make that science understandable — and, above all, to replace blame with understanding.
Because when we understand the biology, we can stop asking “Why can’t you just eat less?” and start asking a much more useful question:
“What does this person need in order to succeed?”
Ready to understand obesity differently?
Hungry Genes? Understanding Obesity Without Blame is available now.