Chronic stress keeps cortisol elevated, and elevated cortisol promotes abdominal fat storage specifically. You can be doing everything “right” with diet, but if stress is constant, your body receives signals to hold onto belly fat.
This companion explores why cortisol targets belly fat (more receptors, insulin resistance, appetite effects), the chronic stress response network, what constitutes chronic stress, the exercise paradox, and what to do about it. (4 min read)