03/12/2025
Obese or overweight people technically have more stored energy than those with normal weight, yet they often feel weak, tired, and constantly hungry.
Why? Because their energy is locked away inside fat cells and cannot be easily accessed.
Here’s what actually happens in their bodies:
Obesity is largely driven by insulin resistance, which keeps insulin levels chronically high.
At almost every point in time, their insulin is higher than that of the average person.
With constantly elevated insulin, the body becomes dependent on glucose alone for energy.
When glucose drops even slightly, they feel weak, dizzy, tired, or light-headed.
This happens because high insulin blocks fat burning.
Their body cannot tap into stored fat for energy, even though they have plenty of it.
So without a continuous supply of glucose, they struggle to function.
This is why many overweight or insulin-resistant individuals cannot go long hours without food.
On the other hand, insulin-sensitive people can switch smoothly between glucose and fat for fuel.
When glucose is low, insulin drops, and the body burns fat for energy.
When glucose is available, insulin rises, and fat burning pauses.
This is how a healthy metabolism works.
Energy is always available, whether from food or stored fat.
A normal-weight, insulin-sensitive person can go many hours, even days, without food and barely notice it.
It’s important to note, however, that some normal-weight people are also insulin resistant.
They store excess fat internally, around organs, rather than under the skin.
This pattern is particularly common among some Asian/Oriental populations.
Symptoms of insulin resistance include:
-Frequent tiredness
-Constant hunger
-Weakness
-Inability to go long hours without food
-Feeling sleepy or fatigued after a meal (especially high-carb meals)
These are early warning signs of chronic metabolic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver, kidney disease, cancer, infertility, and more.