1 month ago

Cortisol Belly: Symptoms, Causes, and Management

Cortisol is a hormone that helps your body manage stress.

When you're stressed for a long time, your body makes too much cortisol, which can make you gain weight, especially around your belly.

This is called cortisol belly.

It can also make you feel tired, crave sugary foods, and have trouble sleeping.

To manage cortisol belly, you should exercise regularly, get enough sleep, eat healthy foods, and find ways to reduce stress.

If your symptoms are severe, you should talk to a doctor.

Key facts

Cortisol: A stress hormone essential for health but can cause negative effects when chronically elevated.
Cortisol Belly: Accumulation of visceral fat around the abdomen due to high cortisol levels.
Symptoms: Increased abdominal fat, difficulty losing weight, cravings, fatigue, mood swings, sleep disturbances.
Causes: Chronic stress, poor sleep, metabolic imbalances, overtraining, unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle, hormonal imbalances.
Management: Regular exercise, quality sleep, balanced diet, stress management, medical consultation.

NDTV · 1 month ago