What Your Weight, Your Hormones, and Your Spine Are Trying to Tell You
By Dr. Kyra Gutierrez, DC · Wholistic Health, North Richland Hills, TX
Let's start with the thing nobody says out loud.
If you've ever stood in front of the mirror and called yourself lazy, undisciplined, or "just bad at this," I want you to stop. Right now. Before you wanna throw your phone at me, hear me out: a lot of what you've been told about weight isn't the whole story. And the part about it being a character flaw? That part is flat-out wrong.
I've been in practice for nearly two decades, and I've watched brilliant, driven, deeply disciplined women blame themselves for something that is far bigger than willpower. So let's talk about what the research actually says, why it matters for the body I see on my table every day, and how we break the cycle without breaking your spirit.
The numbers are bigger than any one person
According to the CDC's most recent national data (August 2021 to August 2023), about 40% of U.S. adults are living with obesity, and nearly 1 in 10 are living with severe obesity. Severe obesity is almost twice as common in women as in men, and the highest rates show up in midlife, between ages 40 and 59.
Globally, the World Health Organization reports that 2.5 billion adults were overweight in 2022, and adult obesity has more than doubled since 1990.
When something affects four in ten adults, that's not a personal failing. That's a pattern. And patterns have causes.
Why "eat less, move more" never told the whole story
Weight is a complex problem. It's shaped by how our food is manufactured, how our hormones are produced and signaled, our genetics, our gut health, the demands of our work, and the addictive patterns many processed foods are practically designed to create.
Here's the piece I want you to really sit with: your hormones, neurotransmitters, gut microbiome, and genetics all influence your behavior: your cravings, your hunger, your energy, your motivation. And when those systems get out of balance, that imbalance is both a cause of weight gain and a consequence of it.
That's a loop. An endless one, if nobody interrupts it.
This is also why the American Medical Association formally recognized obesity as a chronic disease back in 2013. Not to label you, but to say this deserves the same compassion, the same comprehensive plan, and the same ongoing support we'd give any other long-term health challenge. Not a 30-day crash diet. Not a lecture.
No shaming. And it still matters.
Both of these are true at the same time, and I need you to hold them together:
You are fabulous, worthy, and lovable at any size.
And your body, your health, and your life simply work better at a healthy weight for your body. Not your sister's, not an influencer's, not a chart from 1985. Yours. That number is different for every one of us.
So here's what I hold for every woman who walks into my office:
- Your worth is not tied to your body size.
- Your body is healthier at a good weight for your frame.
- You deserve to be healthy and to feel good.
Anyone who tries to make you feel bad, oversimplifies it, or blames you? They don't get it. And that includes the voice in your own head. We don't let anyone be mean to you here. Not even you.
What extra weight can cost you (and it's not just a number on the scale)
The research links excess weight with higher risk of:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease and stroke
- Type 2 diabetes
- Gallbladder disease
- Certain cancers
- Sleep apnea
- Depression and anxiety
- Pain
And then there's the cost nobody puts in a study abstract. Skipping the party. Hiding in the back of the photo. Saying no to the trip. Avoiding intimacy. Feeling limited in what your body can do. The quiet, constant negative self-talk. Sometimes, unfortunately, judgment from others or bias at work.
That's not a small thing. That's your life.
Why your chiropractor cares about this
You might be wondering why a chiropractor is writing about weight at all. Fair question.
Every extra pound changes how load travels through your spine, hips, knees, and feet. It changes your posture, your movement patterns, and how hard your joints and supporting tissues have to work. And the inflammation that often comes along with certain foods can settle right into the areas we're working so hard to help.
That's where root-cause nutrition comes into my office. My job is the musculoskeletal system and the subluxation complex: helping your spine and nervous system function the way they were designed to. Nutrition guidance that calms inflammation and supports those tissues is part of helping your adjustments hold, so you can move comfortably and actually enjoy being active again.
To be clear about my lane: I don't diagnose or treat conditions like diabetes, heart disease, or sleep apnea. Those belong with your medical physician, and I'm always happy to work alongside your care team.
Breaking the cycle
Here's what the research makes plain: waiting for willpower to show up isn't a plan. Support is essential. Lasting change rarely happens without someone in your corner helping you interrupt the loop.
At Wholistic Health, that looks like:
- A whole-person look at how your body is moving, compensating, and carrying load
- Root-cause nutrition guidance focused on reducing inflammation that affects the areas we're caring for
- Gentle, specific chiropractic care to help your body move with less resistance, so activity feels possible again
- Ongoing support, because this is a process and not an event
I'll say it the way I always do: the power that makes the body heals the body. The body knows what to do. The body knows what to do. Sometimes it just needs someone to help clear the path.
Your next step
If this hit a little close to home, you don't have to figure it out alone.
- Ready to talk one-on-one? Book a visit at Wholistic Health
- Want to start with community first? Join the free Wholistic Health Community on Skool
You're worth the effort. You always were.
Portions of this post are adapted, with permission, from "Food as Medicine, Module 1" by Dr. Brandy Zachary, DC, IFMCP, and Functional Medicine Academy™. Statistics have been updated to the most recent CDC and WHO data.
This post is for educational purposes only. It has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please consult your medical physician about any health condition or before making significant changes to your diet or activity.
Sources
- CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Obesity and Severe Obesity Prevalence in Adults: United States, August 2021–August 2023, NCHS Data Brief No. 508 (2024)
- World Health Organization, Obesity and Overweight fact sheet (2024)
- American Medical Association, Resolution 420: Recognition of Obesity as a Disease (2013)
