How a person gains and loses weight is different from another due to multiple factors, including hormones. Besides the kind of food, how much you eat, and your physical activity, hormones also affect your weight. They regulate most of your body’s key functions, which is why they can influence how much weight you gain and lose.
Your hormone levels affect body fat, blood sugar, and muscle mass. In addition, some hormones regulate feelings of hunger, which is linked to your appetite. Therefore, any changes to your hormone levels may impact your weight. If you feel that you have a healthy balanced diet and take plenty of exercise but you are still gaining weight, you may wish to try hormone supplements to help regulate your hormones, and balance your mind and body.
If you’re struggling with losing weight but is living a healthy lifestyle, it may be your hormones. In this article, you’ll learn about the link between your hormones and your body weight. Read on to know which hormones affect weight control.
Table of Contents
Sex hormones
Men’s and women’s sex hormones are also linked to a person’s body weight. Their primary functions are found in sexual development and reproduction, but they also have a say in weight control. Men have testosterone, while estrogen is for women.
Testosterone is the main sex hormone for males. It encourages muscle formation and discourages body fat. While no research shows it directly affects driving up body fat, lack of muscle mass as testosterone levels drop down as men age doesn’t help attain healthy body weight either.
For women, one of their main sex hormones called estrogen, triggers puberty and regulates fertility. It also influences mood and helps protect the cardiovascular system and bones. It may also affect your body shape because when estrogen levels start dropping down during menopause, women gain fat deep in their abdomen.
Leptin and ghrelin
Leptin is the hormone in your body that signals it when it’s time to shed body fat. It tells your body when you feel full while you’re eating. It also helps in regulating blood sugar, blood pressure, and fertility.
Leptin levels rise as your body packs on more fat, slowing your appetite while boosting your metabolic rate. This contributes significantly to stopping weight gain. On the opposite side, leptin drops when you lose body fat which sends a starvation signal to the brain that prompts your appetite to increase and metabolic rate to slow.
Just as your leptin levels fall while you lose weight, it also increases your ghrelin levels. Ghrelin is also called the hunger hormone that your stomach secretes after not eating for a long time. These hormones are why clinics like KC Medical in Kansas City and other similar medically-supervised weight loss programs consider including healthy snacks on diet plans to address hunger.
Thyroid hormones
The thyroid also releases hormones that affect various functions of your body, including dictating metabolic rate. An overactive thyroid secreting more thyroid hormones than normal causes a condition called hyperthyroidism, which can lead to dramatic weight loss that puts your bones and heart at risk.
On the other hand, a hypothyroid that doesn’t secrete adequate thyroid hormones will make your metabolic rate slow, thus reducing your body’s capacity to burn calories. As a result, hypothyroidism will lead to weight gain and even grow worse into obesity if not treated.
Insulin
Insulin is the hormone that your pancreas releases in response to blood sugar rise whenever you eat. It helps lessen the blood sugar in your muscles and fat cells. Blood sugar is also called glucose, and when your cells absorb too much of it, it results in hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.
Insulin is also the hormone that signals your body to store fat. So carrying an excessive amount of insulin in your body will trigger more fat storage, leading to gaining more belly fat that adds up to your body weight.
Cortisol
Cortisol is also known as the stress hormone because it rises whenever you undergo stress. If you suffer from chronic stress, chances are, you have unhealthy eating habits. This is because you’re frequently stress eating which doesn’t work out well for your physical well-being.
Cortisol also encourages the accumulation of fat in the abdominal area. That means the more you suffer from stress, the more likely you’ll gain belly fat.
Wrap up
Your hormones can influence how much weight you gain and lose. That’s why it’s better to keep them at an optimal level by living a healthy lifestyle and seeking medical advice. Help yourself, and your hormones will do the rest.
Author’s Bio:
Though not a medical professional, Hodge Racter knows a lot about medical topics, including hormone replacement (having undergone the procedure himself) and medical weight loss surgeries. Today, he remains spry and energetic despite his age, and when he’s not doing freelance work, he’s having quality time with his wife and two dogs.
