Why do men and women store fat differently?
Glucocorticoid receptors in human preadipocytes: regional and gender differences.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Women have significantly fewer glucocorticoid receptors in visceral fat than men — not just compared to their own subcutaneous fat, but also compared to men’s visceral fat.
Most assume men and women store fat differently due to estrogen or testosterone alone — but this shows a direct molecular difference in how stress hormones interact with belly fat cells.
Practical Takeaways
Understand that stress management may affect men and women differently due to biological differences in fat cell sensitivity.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Women have significantly fewer glucocorticoid receptors in visceral fat than men — not just compared to their own subcutaneous fat, but also compared to men’s visceral fat.
Most assume men and women store fat differently due to estrogen or testosterone alone — but this shows a direct molecular difference in how stress hormones interact with belly fat cells.
Practical Takeaways
Understand that stress management may affect men and women differently due to biological differences in fat cell sensitivity.
Publication
Journal
The Journal of endocrinology
Year
2000
Authors
JM Joyner, LJ Hutley, D. Cameron
Related Content
Claims (4)
The fat around your organs has four times more receptors that respond to stress hormones than the fat under your skin — which might explain why belly fat is harder to lose when you're stressed.
Fat cells before they fully form have special receptors that can detect stress hormones like cortisol, and these receptors work about the same way as they do in other parts of your body — meaning they’re ready to respond when needed.
In women, the fat cells around the belly have fewer receptors for stress hormones than the fat cells under the skin, which might explain why belly fat builds up differently than other kinds of fat.
Women’s belly fat cells have fewer receptors for stress hormones than men’s, which might mean their fat tissue responds differently to stress.