The Impact of the Cortisol "Stress Hormone" in Weight Loss and Weight Gain

Eating when stressed is not just about satisfying emotional needs. The body has a unique system of hormonal checks and balances that actually encourage gaining weight when you're under situations of increased stress.

The so-called "stress hormone" cortisol is released in the body during stressful times along with the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine that constitute the "fight or flight" response to an envisioned threat. Following the stressful or dangerous circumstance, epinephrine and norepinephrine levels become normal again while cortisol levels can remain elevated over a longer period of time. In fact, cortisol levels can remain elevated pervasively in the body when a person is subjected to ongoing stress.

What is the reason cortisol affects weight gain? Cortisol has many roles in the body, and one key goal of cortisol secretion is providing energy for the body.

Cortisol influences carbohydrate and fat metabolism for energy quickly, and influences insulin secretion and the maintaining of blood sugar levels. The end result of these actions is a greater appetite and subsequent weight gain. Therefore ongoing stress, or badly-managed stress, could lead to cortisol levels that stimulate your hunger, with the result finally manifesting as weight gain or a severe challenge in weight loss.

Cortisol not only encourages weight gain, but it may also impact where you gain the weight. Physicians have demonstrated that stress and high cortisol tend to create fat deposits in the belly area instead of the hips. These fat deposits have been noted as "toxic fat" since belly fat deposition is strongly related to the development of heart disease including strokes and heart attacks. 

Whether or not your level of stress will culminate in elevated cortisol levels and weight gain is not easily predictable. The volume of cortisol secretion in response to stress can differ among people, with some individuals being naturally more affected by stressful events. Studies of women who tended to respond to stress with elevated cortisol release levels showed that these women also tended to consume more food in stress than women who released less cortisol. Another study confirmed that women who stored their extra fat in the belly area had elevated cortisol levels and reported more lifestyle stress than ladies who stored fat mostly in the hips.

What is the impact on weight control?

Experts agree that managing stress is an extremely important part of weight loss programs, especially in those who have high cortisol levels. Exercise is the most effective and fastest method for weight loss in this situation, because exercise leads to endorphin release, which has natural stress-combating properties and can reduce cortisol levels. Activities such as prayer, visualization and relaxation can also help reduce your stress hormone levels. To proactively lower high cortisol caused by stress, lifestyle changes are critical.

For further information:

Peeke PM, Chrousos GP. Hypercortisolism and Obesity. Ann NY Acad Sci 1995 Dec 29; 771:665-76.

Epel ES, McEwen B, Seeman T, Matthews K, Castellazzo G, Brownell KD, Bell J, Ickovics JR. Stress and body shape: stress-induced cortisol secretion is consistently greater among women with central fat. Psychosom Med. 2000 Sep-Oct; 62(5):623-32.