How Hormones Control Where Fat is Stored in Your Body
Hormonal control of regional fat distribution.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Different hormones tell your body where to store fat. Cortisol and insulin help store fat, especially in your belly area. Growth hormone and testosterone help burn fat instead of storing it. The hormones work by interacting with special receptors on fat cells, and there are more of these receptors in belly fat than in fat under your skin.
Surprising Findings
Female sex steroids regulate fat metabolism without direct cellular receptors
Unlike testosterone (which has clear androgen receptors), estrogens appear to work through indirect pathways, which is unexpected given how significantly female hormones affect body fat distribution.
Practical Takeaways
Managing cortisol and insulin through stress reduction and diet may help reduce visceral fat accumulation
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Different hormones tell your body where to store fat. Cortisol and insulin help store fat, especially in your belly area. Growth hormone and testosterone help burn fat instead of storing it. The hormones work by interacting with special receptors on fat cells, and there are more of these receptors in belly fat than in fat under your skin.
Surprising Findings
Female sex steroids regulate fat metabolism without direct cellular receptors
Unlike testosterone (which has clear androgen receptors), estrogens appear to work through indirect pathways, which is unexpected given how significantly female hormones affect body fat distribution.
Practical Takeaways
Managing cortisol and insulin through stress reduction and diet may help reduce visceral fat accumulation
Publication
Journal
Human reproduction
Year
1997
Authors
P. Björntorp
Related Content
Claims (6)
Testosterone appears to block the enzyme that helps fat cells store fat and turns on the process that burns fat for energy, which could help reduce body fat.
A specific protein called glucocorticoid receptor helps the stress hormone cortisol control how fat is stored and broken down in body fat. This receptor is more abundant in the deep belly fat than in the fat under the skin.
Insulin helps fat cells store more fat by turning on a special enzyme called lipoprotein lipase that breaks down triglycerides so they can be packed inside the fat cells.
The stress hormone cortisol can help fat cells store more fat by turning on a special enzyme that breaks down fats in the blood so they can enter the fat cells.
Growth hormone helps your body burn stored fat and prevents new fat from building up, working against the fat-storage effects of stress hormones and insulin.