Neurosurgeon Harvey Cushing first linked a specific type of pituitary tumor with weight gain in 1932. Later research confirmed this connection due to runaway cortisol production by this tumor.

Cushing Syndrome may be uncommon, but it serves as an excellent illustration of how too much cortisol leads to excess fat accumulation. Scientists have demonstrated this weight gain effect by administering cortisol-boosting drugs to animals.

Humans with elevated cortisol tend to struggle with weight issues as well, and not simply due to increased fat storage; cortisol also increases cravings for comfort food!

Today we will investigate how cortisol impacts weight regulation and discover strategies to decrease cortisol. Let’s get going!

Do Cortisol Cause Weight Gain? Cortisol, produced by your adrenal glands, is an essential hormone that enables glucose (energy) production that fuels cells – without it we wouldn’t exist! Without it we couldn’t survive.

However, too much cortisol should be avoided. Signs of high cortisol include high blood sugar levels, bone density issues, high blood pressure levels, muscle weakness and (most significantly here) weight gain. Let’s focus on this last point for now.

Cortisol levels increase appetite. According to one estimate, about 90% of individuals tend to consume more food while under stress.

These individuals aren’t eating more celery – instead, cortisol-driven dysregulations of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA), which regulates hunger and weight regulation, are driving them toward more carb-heavy and refined foods.

Cortisol may play a significant role in abdominal fat storage; let’s investigate this further.

Cortisol increases blood sugar levels, prompting the pancreas to produce more insulin and store fat as energy in cells, leading to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes – making high cortisol, diabetes and obesity strongly correlated.

No Obvious Link
Not every person with weight issues also has an elevated cortisol level; only half of obese participants in one study had high cortisol levels.

Genetic differences could also explain this observation; certain people are more sensitive than others to cortisol’s effect on weight regulation; for instance, female humans and sheep who respond more to cortisol eat more when stressed than low responders.

What Elevates Cortisol? Cortisol levels fluctuate throughout the day, but why do some individuals have chronically elevated cortisol? There may be various reasons, with chronic stress being one of them.

Modern life can be very stressful. Being constantly connected to work, news and social media makes it hard to unwind and unwind properly.

Humans began as small tribes living outside, gathering fruit and engaging in sexual encounters. Now we live indoors huddling around computers trying to manage our social and professional networks–our stress levels rising with each update.

Alongside chronic stress, another factor which interferes with cortisol regulation (the HPA axis) is:

Sleep deprivation, high consumption of refined and sugary foods, alcohol abuse, genetic factors, chronic pain and inactivity are all contributing to an increased cortisol level and inactivity – factors which should all be taken into consideration for successful weight loss. Now let’s consider ways of lowering cortisol for weight loss.

How To Reduce Cortisol for Weight Loss
Although cortisol’s physiology may be complex, its reduction isn’t. Simply manage stress, sleep, diet, exercise and social ties effectively in order to lower cortisol levels and achieve weight loss.

1: Reduce Stress

Anxiety, doubt, fear, anger and worry are emotions many of us encounter more frequently than we would like, which causes cortisol levels to spike as a result.

Though you cannot control these feelings completely, they can have less of an effect on your life.

One way of training the mind through meditation is with meditation. According to a 2022 randomized controlled trial, five 30-minute mindfulness training sessions led to decreased cortisol levels among nursing students.

External stressors can also be mitigated. You could:

Start small: Reduce digital anxiety by checking your phone or email less and scheduling or communicating effectively with your boss to manage work overload, prefer shows or movies that make you laugh more, favor shows/movies that create an upbeat atmosphere, favor shows/movies that make you giggle more and quickly changing the subject when your cousin attempts to engage you in political discussion.
But don’t aim to eliminate stress from your life altogether: some acute forms can be beneficial, and pushing through fearful situations can help you grow as an individual.

Are You Wanting to Increase Public Speaking, Meet More Intersting People or Negotiate a Higher Salary? Well then be prepared for some stress! To make any real progress.

Finding a balance can be challenging. Your aim should be to remain calm for most of the time while occasionally experiencing adaptive discomfort.

2: Get adequate rest Sleep deprivation has long been shown to wreak havoc on our ability to manage stress effectively, leading us down a slippery slope of stress-induced depression. A full night’s rest can make all the difference between an enjoyable drive with podcasts playing on your iPod and one filled with deep loathing for fellow commuters. While rest may be hard to come by, try your hardest to achieve at least 7-9 hours each night if possible.

3: Stay away from refined carbs

Poor diet and elevated cortisol levels combine to form an unhealthy cycle:

Refined carbs cause spikes in blood glucose levels that disrupt the HPA axis and trigger cortisol release, increasing cravings for carby foods–not ideal for weight loss! To break this cycle, eliminate refined carbohydrates from your life; their cravings will eventually dissipate on their own.

4: Exercise [exercise can increase cortisol acutely while simultaneously decreasing resting levels and dampening stress responses]. One study indicated that higher intensity exercise (70% of max heart rate) led to greater stress resilience compared to lesser intensity efforts.

The experimental design was interesting: 45 minutes post-exercise session, participants had to present in front of an unfunny review panel (imagine an uncomfortable job interview) before receiving an unexpected math test. At the end, only those participating in the 70% heart rate exercise group showed lower salivary cortisol levels compared with groups at 30% or 50% heart rates.

5: Build Close Relationships

It all boils down to how close you feel with those closest to you; your cortisol levels depend on it!

One study demonstrated that emotional closeness was predictive of lower cortisol levels among older adults; number of relationships was unimportant.

Reduce Cortisol for Easier Weight Loss

Cortisol and weight loss go hand-in-hand, so if you want to shed unwanted pounds, working on controlling this stress hormone will certainly be effective.

Dieting alone won’t lead to weight loss – rather it should serve as an added incentive to reduce stress, sleep well, limit sugar, exercise regularly and strengthen relationships. The true reward comes in form of living a happier and healthier life!