AI MarkGet answers to your health questions from “AI Mark”—an AI-powered chat trained on Dr. Hyman’s teachings.

Why you can't lose that belly fat #stress #weightloss #health

30 Aug 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:39

Chronic stress elevates cortisol, which raises blood sugar and triggers insulin resistance. This cascade causes inflammation, disrupts hormones, and signals fat cells to store more fat around your belly. Managing stress is essential to break the cycle.

Chapters

You might have belly fat that won't budge. Here's a little tip for you. Your nervous system is connected to your fat cells. And when you're stressed, it makes them get more fat and makes you gain more weight. That's not a good thing. Chronic stress raises cortisol. It causes then elevations in blood sugar. Because, you know, when you're stressed, you want to have high blood sugar, but not all the time. And then when you have high blood sugar, you become insulin resistant. And when you become insulin resistant, that causes inflammation. Then when you have inflammation, that disrupts your hormones even more. It causes gut damage. It causes changes in your immune system. Now you're chasing symptoms when the upstream driver is your stress signaling response.