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Written by Navneet Kaur, M.Sc. Nutrition & Dietetics
Health
Stress just doesn't affect your mind, but it also changes how your body stores fat. Chronic stress raises cortisol levels in your body, which causes belly fat, making it harder to lose also.
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It refers to abdominal fat linked with high stress; it isn't just about looks but also health, as belly fat is strongly tied to visceral fat around vital organs.
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It is also known as a stress hormone, released by the adrenal glands. When its level stays high for long, it increases appetite, sugar cravings and fat storage.
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When you are stressed, cortisol tricks your brain into believing that it needs quick energy and makes your body crave comfort foods that are high in sugar and fat, which leads to overeating.
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Abdominal fat cells have more cortisol receptors, which make the belly area more sensitive to stress hormones; that's why stress weight gain shows up as stubborn belly fat instead of overall weight gain.
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Having too much belly fat might raise the risk of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and metabolic syndrome, which makes managing stress and cortisol levels critical for long-term health.
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High cortisol levels might disrupt your sleep cycles, lowering recovery and slowing down metabolism, which makes calories burn harder and fat storage easier around the waistline.
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Healthy lifestyle practices such as a balanced diet, regular exercise, yoga and mindfulness help lower cortisol, reducing stress and allowing the body to burn fat more efficiently.
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Studies show people with higher waist-to-hip ratio release more cortisol under stress and this connection between stress and fat distribution proves that cortisol belly is more than a lifestyle myth.
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Cortisol belly is the result of ongoing stress, poor sleep and hormonal imbalance, so focus on stress control, healthy eating and active living to reduce this stubborn belly fat.
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