How Knowing Your Type Can Guide Weight Loss Treatment

Successfully losing and keeping off weight is not a one-size-fits-all approach. How one person responds to a diet or medication can differ greatly from the next person's response to the same diet or medication—which can make for a frustrating weight loss experience. 

If we acknowledge that weight gain and obesity can be caused by a range of reasons differing from person to person, then why do we try to address it the same way in each person? Could we have better results when people are matched to a certain treatment based on their obesity "type"? Some researchers made it their goal to find out.

Meet The 4 Types

The obesity types were developed and tested in a pair of clinical studies by Dr. Andres J. Acosta and his research team published in 2021.

The goal of the first study was to help determine ways to classify obesity (or, the underlying cause of their weight). Researchers categorized participants and refined the criteria of each obesity type based on a few factors:

• The person’s body composition
• How much energy the person’s body uses at rest
• The person’s ability to feel full between meals
• The person’s ability to eat to true fullness
• How the person eats
• Other personal characteristics

Through this process, the scientists identified four different types that grouped participants by the suspected underlying cause of their excess weight. In a second study, they assigned a separate set of participants a personalized weight loss plan based on their type. Then, they compared their amount of weight loss to a different group of participants that were not given a personalized weight loss plan.

What’s Your Type?

HUNGRY BRAIN

Tends to eat more with each meal to feel full: 40% of participants

HUNGRY GUT

Food tends to leave the stomach faster: 18% of participants

EMOTIONAL HUNGER

Tends to score higher on anxiety/depression questionnaires: 30% of participants

SLOW BURN

Tends to burn calories at a slower rate: 12% of participants

HUNGRY BRAIN, HUNGRY GUT, EMOTIONAL HUNGER, and SLOW BURN are registered trademarks of Phenomix Sciences. 15% of study participants could not be assigned a type.

These four obesity types are just one way in which researchers are adding more clarity to obesity, a complex chronic condition. By understanding what is behind someone’s own personal and physiological struggle to lose weight, a healthcare provider can help connect them with an individualized medical weight loss plan. This could include diet changes, suggested exercise programs, prescription medications, or other recommended therapies.

Potential Benefits of Personalized Weight Loss Treatment

One advantage of personalized weight loss treatment is that it is tailored to the individual's unique needs—taking into account any underlying health conditions, lifestyle choices, and personal preferences. The hope is that this will make the treatment plan more likely to be effective and sustainable for that individual.

How does that shake out in the real world? In the clinical studies we mentioned earlier, the people who received a weight loss medication aligned with their type were associated with greater weight loss after a year, compared to people who were assigned a weight loss medication not based on any classification. This suggests personalizing weight loss treatment using the types can provide some benefit to weight loss efforts.

There is another important benefit to a personalized weight loss plan not to be missed. Working in partnership with a healthcare provider can also provide opportunities for more regular feedback and guidance along your journey. This may help you stay motivated and committed to your healthy weight loss goals!

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