Gurgaon-based corporate communicator Chaitali Dey, age 31, can't stop thinking about the belly fat that won't budge no matter how much jogging and exercise she does.
Her profession demands a lot of her time, and she finds it difficult to relax, so she turns to fast food whenever she needs a quick fix. This causes her to store fat around her stomach, the last place on her body it should be.
Senior Consultant in Endocrinology at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Dr. Richa Chaturvedi, explains how stress may contribute to abdominal fat storage. Cortisol, also called stress hormones
may be produced in greater quantities when stress is chronic. Possible negative outcomes include gaining weight and a higher chance of developing cardiovascular disease.
The adrenal glands secrete the hormone cortisol in reaction to emotional or physical stress. It's essential for maintaining a wide range of bodily functions. Cortisol aids in the maintenance of normal blood pressure, sugar levels,
It helps the body respond to inflammation and stress, making it better able to deal with adversity. However, prolonged or excessive cortisol production might be harmful to health.
Effects on cognition, sleep, immunity, and weight gain or increased risk of cardiovascular disease have all been linked to raised cortisol levels, which may be caused by chronic stress.
When combined with other risk factors, such as an unhealthy diet, inactivity, and lack of exercise, it may accelerate abdominal fat gain. In addition, as cortisol levels rise, the body seeks high-carb meals because it knows this will cause insulin to be secreted, so lowering cortisol levels.