Stress and Cortisol: Understanding Their Affects On Your Body Weight

Cortisol is a naturally occurring hormone. While it may be essential to your very survival, under certain conditions it can also be a key contributor to increased belly fat. Cortisol is a product of your adrenal glands and helps your body mount a stress response. Think fight or flight.

Studies show a strong correlation between elevated cortisol levels and weight gain–especially, in your abdominal region.

For many of us, stress is a common catalyst for overeating. Couple excess caloric intake with the stress-fueled cortisol hormone and you have the perfect recipe for a bigger belly.

Interestingly, women who have a large waistline in proportion to their hips are found to secrete more cortisol when experiencing stress than those with smaller waistlines.