I dropped 120 lbs once, 80 lbs another time, and 40 or more several other times. I am at a loss as to answering the OP. As an analogy, when traveling in Europe during the Bush 43 administration, people would ask me what in the world we Americans were thinking, and I felt like they were owed an answer but didn’t know what to say. Struggling with weight is no fun, and whatever the problem is, it isn’t stupidity or lack of caring. Best guess is that what evolution designed into us to minimize starvation is more powerful than nice ideas and suggestions.