Stress and Belly Fat: How Too Much Cortisol Causes Belly Fat
Sure, stress is something that we deal with on a day-to-day basis. In small amounts, stress is actually beneficial, it challenges us, encourages change and makes us stronger, both emotionally and biochemically. However, we live in a society that exposes us to constant stress. The inbuilt prehistoric response to stress was never designed to occur over long periods of time. Chronic stress blocks weight loss. Chronic stress causes your body to pump out excessive amounts of cortisol, your major stress hormone. The main function of cortisol is to control physical and psychological stress. While cortisol is important to help your body deal with stress, from a weight loss perspective, too much cortisol triggers cravings for high fat, high sugar foods. It is almost impossible to lose weight if you are under tremendous stress, as your stress hormones are fighting against you.
Cortisol and Belly Fat
Cortisol also tells your body where that fat actually gets deposited, with a greater amount stored in reserve around the belly. Put simply, stress causes belly fat.Belly fat is also termed visceral fat. This type of fat accumulates in the abdomen and deposits around vital organs. It is linked to diabetes, fatty liver disease and high blood pressure.
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