Weight Gain Linked to Cortisol Levels

STAVANGER, Norway Obesity is a global public health challenge that increases the incidence of chronic disease, and now researchers in Norway have discovered a possible link between stress and obesity, according to a new study published in the journal Medical Hypotheses.

Researchers at the University of Stavanger reviewed previous studies to investigate how stress and obesity might be linked and discuss the cause and consequence relationship between the stress response and obesity. They found weight gain and the stress hormone cortisol levels are noticeably higher in people who became fatter because of stress.

If you have high cortisol, you seem to put on weight more easily," they said, adding stress and obesity reinforce each other through positive feedback. They found getting fatter can potentially trigger the stress response, which in turn encourages additional weight gain. They also found dieting also can stimulate cortisol production, which in turn may trigger the stress response and thereby counter the weight loss.