If you’re eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly but still struggling with stubborn belly fat, your hormones might be the hidden culprits. This condition, often referred to as a “hormonal belly,” results from imbalances in key hormones that regulate metabolism, stress response, and fat storage. When cortisol spikes from stress or insulin resistance develops, the body clings to fat, especially around the abdomen.

Once you understand how the hormones cause it, you might be able to devise a means of losing excessive fat and coming back into body balance. In this article we will discuss about the two major hormones which are behind your stubborn belly fat.

What is Hormonal Belly Fat?

Hormonal belly fat is the excessive fat that is stored in the abdominal area due to hormonal imbalances. This may happen as we age, suffer from chronic stress, or have metabolic disorders. The hormones of cortisol and insulin are among the most significant in controlling fat distribution. When these hormones are disrupted, they may signal the body to store more fat, especially around the midsection.

Signs You Have a Hormonal Belly

While weight gain can result from various factors like diet and inactivity, hormonal imbalances have distinct signs, including:

Chronic stress and anxiety: High cortisol levels due to stress encourage fat storage in the abdomen.

Hair loss and fatigue: Low thyroid hormones can lead to sluggish metabolism and increased fat accumulation.

Unusual food cravings: Insulin resistance can lead to intense sugar cravings and overeating, further promoting belly fat gain.

If you experience any of these symptoms, it might be the time to address your hormonal issues regarding weight gain.

The Two Hormones Behind Stubborn Belly Fat

1. Cortisol: The Stress Hormone

Cortisol, also referred to as the "stress hormone," is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress. Although cortisol, for the most part, regulates inflammation and metabolism, persistent elevations in cortisol levels can lead to the excessive storage of fats particularly around the abdomen.

How Cortisol Causes Belly Fat

• Increases appetite: Higher cortisol levels make you desire sugary and fatty foods, promoting overeating.
• Slows metabolism: Long-term stress is a signal the body uses to conserve energy, hence hard to lose weight.
• Encourages fat storage: Cortisol guides fats to be stored in the abdominal cavity, thus promoting central obesity.

How to Reduce Cortisol Naturally

• Practice mindfulness: Meditation and deep breathing activities are practices that regulate cortisol.
• Engage in light exercise: Walking or yoga can reduce stress without causing a surge in cortisol production.
• Get enough sleep: Lack of sleep increases cortisol levels, so get 7-9 hours of quality rest.
• Reduce caffeine and sugar: Both substances can increase cortisol levels and exacerbate the stress response.

2. Insulin: The Blood Sugar Regulator

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that controls blood sugar levels through entry of glucose into cells to produce energy. In the event of excessively high insulin levels due to too much carbohydrate intake or resistance to insulin, the body tends to store more fat, especially in the abdominal area.

How Insulin Leads to Belly Fat

Raises fat deposition: the hormone signals the cells to retain excess glucose as fat.

It promotes insulin resistance: Over time, cells become resistant to insulin, leading to higher blood sugar and increased fat accumulation.

Triggers sugar cravings: When insulin levels fluctuate, it can cause sudden hunger and cravings for processed foods.

How to Improve Insulin Sensitivity

• Incorporate strength training: Lifting weights improves insulin sensitivity and helps burn fat.
• Avoid constant snacking: Frequent eating keeps insulin levels elevated. Try intermittent fasting or spacing out meals.
• Eat balanced meals: Include protein, fiber, and healthy fats to stabilize blood sugar levels.
• Cut back on refined carbohydrates: Decrease sugars and processed foods that cause a sudden insulin rise.

How Balancing Hormones for Permanent Weight Loss

Both cortisol and insulin should be balanced for less belly fat. Here's the practical guide for restoring hormone balance:

Diet for Balancing Hormones

Eat plenty of whole nutrient-rich foods like vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

Avoid processed sugars and refined carbs.

Stay hydrated and incorporate anti-inflammatory foods like turmeric and omega-3-rich fish.

Manage Stress Effectively

Engage in relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, journaling, or spending time in nature.

Maintain a Consistent Exercise Routine

Set boundaries to prevent work and life stress from overwhelming you.

Maintain a Consistent Exercise Routine

Strength training helps build muscle, which improves insulin sensitivity.

Moderate cardio, such as walking or swimming, aids fat loss without raising cortisol excessively.

Prioritize Sleep and Recovery

Establish a consistent sleep schedule to support hormonal balance.

Establish a Consistent Sleep Schedule to support hormonal balance

Limit screen time before bed to improve melatonin production and sleep quality.

When to See a Doctor

If you’ve made lifestyle changes and are still struggling with belly fat, consult a healthcare provider. They can run tests to assess your hormone levels and identify underlying issues such as thyroid dysfunction, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or metabolic syndrome.

Inner Child’ is Health and Me's new mental health series where we deep dive into lesser-known aspects of child psychology and how it shapes you as you grow up. Often unheard, mistaken, and misunderstood, in this series we talk about the children’s perspective and their mental health, something different than you might have read in your parenting books. After all, parenting is not just about teaching but also unlearning.

Growing up, we would always compare the way our parents behaved in comparison to others’. “My mum lets me get home late if I let her know where I am” or “I can’t even stay outside past 8 pm, even if it is for schoolwork”. These things were common, and we often used to bring these up to get our parents to be more lenient. As kids, these rules and regulations seemed harsh and no amount to freedom could trump over the control our parents had over our lives. However, as we have grown into adulthood, we have understood how important that ‘control’ was and how it was actually more of guidance than control.

But when does this control become too much? Is there a cap on how much influence a parent should have on their child? While you may believe that you are helping and protecting your child, are you actually sabotaging your child from living an independent and self-sufficient life?

Speaking to specialists and experts, Heathandme does a deep dive into a child’s psychology and the future impact of the shackles parents place on their children from living a fulfilling life. We spoke to Dr. Pretty Duggar Gupta, a psychiatrist at Aster Whitefield Hospital, Dr. Rahul Chandhok, Head of Psychiatry at Artemis Lite NFC, and Rima Bhandekar, a senior psychologist from Mpower.

How Much Control Is Too Much Control?

Having that sense of control over their children’s lives is very important for some parents. “Some parents have a hard time letting their kids be free because they are worried about their safety, are afraid of bad influences, or don't know if their child can make the right choices” explains Dr. Chandhok.

Dr. Duggar continues “In many cases, unresolved childhood trauma or societal pressure to raise ‘perfect’ children pushes them to overcorrect every step. They fear that granting autonomy means exposing their child to harm, not realizing that a lack of independence can impair emotional development.” Children are not equipped to make the right decisions, they may have tried thinking things through, but their lack of real-life experience can make it difficult to make the right choices, however, does that justify the complete lack of trust you have in your child?

While understanding this from a parent’s perspective is understandable, one wonders how the children feel about this.

A Child’s Point Of View

Your lack of trust can be the turning point in the view a child holds themselves in. As parents, you are the first teachers, the first friends and sometimes their first bully. The internalized thoughts of ‘I must not be smart enough to do this’ or things similar to these are bound to plague the child. What does it lead to? Over-dependency, lack of critical thinking as well as a sense of detachment, you have effectively ensured your child does not open up to you. Dr. Chandhok explains that when parents have a hard time letting go and keep an iron grip on their children, “Over time, this can make you feel bad about yourself, anxious, and emotionally detached. The person feels like they're being watched, not supported, which makes their brain stress out. They might not learn how to be independent and instead become afraid of making choices or too reliant on other people.”

Even if they do things their own way and the results are better than what they expected, you may not hear about this at all, why? Because the lack of trust you have shown in them, told the child their work will simply not be good enough.

Dr. Bhandekar explains, “Constant supervision can lead to emotional tension in the child. It can lead to low self-confidence, inability to make big decisions, fear of failure, and children hiding their relationships, habits or their stress for fear of punishment by their parents.”

While your protectiveness may save them from a few bad experiences or damaging events, the lack of friction against the grittiness of life, can be detrimental to a child.

Freedom For All, But What Does It Mean?

While we all understand the basics of raising children, the details are left vague ‘to each their own’. Every child is different, hence needing different types of care, but does this apply to how much freedom, or lack thereof, a child should get?

While there may not be a right answer, we can all follow the same logic, Dr Duggar explains, “Freedom is not a blank check; freedom is adaptive boundaries. Freedom for a young adult must include decision-making—selecting a course of study, learning to handle money, navigating interpersonal conflicts—yet also having the safety net of guidance.”

But why do we need to give this guidance? One of the reasons why a young adult’s decision making may not be as good as you want them to be is because their brains are just not developed enough. “The frontal lobe of the brain, which is in charge of making decisions, is still growing at this age. This can make it harder to control impulses and make good decisions. So, freedom should mean being able to make choices every day, manage your time, and learn from your mistakes. Parents should give emotional support and set healthy limits.” said Dr. Chandok.

However, it doesn’t always have just one outcome. Stories of people separating from their parents on account of their over-involvement in their lives are countless. While they may not realize how the lack of boundaries with their parents hurts them, over the years it can cause many things, Dr Duggar explains “it can result in rebellion or emotional withdrawal from the family entirely, leading to a disconnection that could have been prevented with trust and communication.”

One Mistake And You Are Out!

It is not rare for a parent to enforce more rules and become more strict when their children do things wrong. But a question arises, were they wrong, or is it a part of growing up? “A child's feelings and actions can often show that their parents made mistakes about how to act. If a child is anxious, violent, too quiet, or avoids social situations, it could be because they have strict rules, don't get enough support, or feel too much pressure at home.” said Dr. Chandhok. He continues, “A child's brain and feelings are shaped by how they are treated, from a simple psychological point of view. If you keep criticizing or ignoring them, it can hurt their sense of worth and make them more stressed.” Adding to this, Dr Bhandekar said, “Constant worry, control, and questioning from parents can slowly break down a child’s ability to manage themselves. Often parents forget that their response often shapes a child's choices more than the concern itself.”

Space for Mistakes And Allowing To Grow

Hearing what you did, or how you treated your child from their perspective is hard for parents to accept. ‘That is not what I did! You are twisting my words!’ is a common feeling. Whether you are the parent or an observer, the first thing that comes to mind is ‘Why did you never speak up?’

However, what’s even more surprising for them is that the signs may have been hidden in plain sight, you were just too caught up to notice them. Dr Bhandekar details that some signs you may have missed could be -

• Not openly sharing their stress with you
• Always trying to be perfect which is hindering their success
• Blaming themselves frequently even for small mistakes
• Seems anxious or upset around you for your expecting more than their limits
• Behaving in a harmful way to avoid conflicts with others.

“They might follow the rules, but only because they're scared, not because they respect or understand them. This can hurt their mental health over time. Real discipline teaches, but extreme control makes your child quiet and keeps them away from you.” Dr Chandhok concludes.

Listen to Them, Not Just For Show

Children have a lot to tell; one just has to understand their communication preferences. Some kids may like talking, others may enjoy showing their feelings through actions. Communication is key to building that confidence and trust some parents lack about their children being able to handle themselves.

Making mistakes, failing and sometimes ending up in immensely difficult situations are all things we have to be prepared for. You do not need to train your children for these, they fail and learn themselves, what you should stress about is your presence, but not in a way that takes away from them, but in a way that adds. ‘When you look back, we’ll be right there’

One of the biggest concerns people with high blood sugar have is their diet. They must be very careful about what they consume as depending on how healthy it is and how much essential nutrition it has, it can either harm you or not affect you.

A recent study brings good news for people with type 2 diabetes. It suggests that having 100% orange juice with breakfast might not negatively affect blood sugar levels, which goes against what many have thought for a long time about managing this condition through diet. This could mean more flexibility in what people with type 2 diabetes can enjoy.

Type 2 diabetes is a big health issue, affecting millions of people. In the US alone, it's estimated that in 2021, 38.4 million people had diabetes. Because so many people are affected, it's really important to find ways to manage the condition through daily choices, especially what we eat and drink.

Unpacking the Impact of Orange Juice

In a recent research study published in the Nutrition and Diabetes journal, scientists looked at how different breakfast drinks affected people with type 2 diabetes who were already managing their condition well. Participants ate a breakfast that included carbohydrates, and then had either whole oranges, a glass of pure orange juice, or a sugary orange-flavored drink. For four hours after the meal, the researchers carefully checked their blood sugar and insulin levels to see the effects.

No Significant Difference

The research team was quite surprised by what they found. They had expected that eating whole fruit would lead to the lowest blood sugar levels, and that orange juice and sugary drinks would cause them to be higher. However, the study showed there was actually no difference in blood sugar levels between the groups.

The scientists believe that the main reason for the rise in blood sugar and insulin was actually the bread consumed as part of the breakfast. The small amounts of sugar from the fruit or drinks didn't seem to make much of a difference.

It's important to understand that this study doesn't suggest that people with diabetes should drink just any sugary beverage. Those kinds of drinks usually don't offer any nutritional benefits. However, 100% orange juice is different. Its sugars come directly from the fruit itself, and it contains many of the same important vitamins, minerals, and natural compounds found in whole oranges.

Bridging the Nutritional Gap

While eating whole fruit is still the healthiest choice, partly because it contains fiber, a small glass of 100% fruit juice each day can be a convenient option when whole fruit isn't available. This is especially helpful because a lot of young adults aren't eating enough fruits and vegetables according to health guidelines. Including a daily glass of pure fruit juice could help them get more of the important nutrients they need.

Pure orange juice and other 100% fruit juices are considered minimally processed. This means they don't have any added sugars, artificial flavors, or preservatives. Just one glass of orange juice provides a large portion of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C, which is a crucial nutrient for a strong immune system and healthy skin. Experts suggest that adding a small daily glass of fruit juice can be an easy way to make sure you get important nutrients and vitamins, especially if you have well-controlled diabetes and are also choosing high-fiber breakfast foods.

In the dark depths of Python Cave in Uganda, a leopard lunges at a bat perched atop a mound of guano. But this isn’t just a snapshot of predator and prey—it's a stunning revelation. The bat belongs to the Egyptian fruit bat species (Rousettus aegyptiacus), the natural reservoir for one of the world’s deadliest pathogens: Marburg virus, a relative of Ebola.

Thanks to the trail camera of a 25-year-old Ugandan undergraduate, Bosco Atukwatse, the world has fresh evidence of how this terrifying virus might spread—not in theory, but in action.

Atukwatse, working with the Kyambura Lion Project in Queen Elizabeth National Park, captured 261 predator interactions over just four months. Crowned eagles, Nile monitors, pythons, leopards, and even blue monkeys were all observed feeding on, or scavenging from, the infected bat colony.

This discovery wasn’t made in a top-tier lab—it came from a young, curious mind using a simple trail camera and sharp ecological instincts. Alongside a team of early-career Ugandan researchers, Atukwatse has revealed a third potential “spillover” pathway for the Marburg virus: animal predation.

Previously, scientists had identified two possible routes: humans directly entering bat-inhabited caves, or consuming fruit contaminated by bat saliva or feces. But this new footage suggests that predatory or scavenging animals feeding on bats could themselves become vectors, adding complexity to how Marburg might move through an ecosystem and eventually reach humans. Thanks to the new footage, Marburg virus has again become talk of the town.

ALSO READ: A Ugandan Scientist's Photos Reveal How Marburg Virus Can Spread To Different Species

What Is Marburg Virus Disease?

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US (CDC), note that Marburg virus disease (MVD) is a rare but devastating illness caused by orthomarburgviruses—either Marburg virus or Ravn virus. First identified in 1967 during lab outbreaks in Germany and Serbia, the disease has since erupted in several African countries, including Uganda, Angola, Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania.

The WHO classifies MVD as a severe hemorrhagic fever with a fatality rate of up to 88%—though this can be reduced with early, supportive care.

How Marburg Spreads

The Egyptian rousette bat is the natural host, and humans usually become infected through prolonged exposure to bat-inhabited caves or contact with bat secretions. Once a person contracts the virus, it can be transmitted human-to-human through:

• Blood, vomit, or other bodily fluids of an infected person
• Surfaces contaminated with these fluids (e.g. bedding, medical equipment)
• Semen from a man who has recovered, even months after infection

The disease can also be contracted through contact with infected non-human primates—which makes the discovery of predators eating infected bats even more alarming.

Symptoms and Progression

Marburg symptoms typically emerge 2–21 days after exposure. Early signs include:

• Fever and chills
• Headache and muscle pain
• Rash (often on the torso)
• Sore throat and chest pain
• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea

As the disease progresses, it can lead to severe bleeding, organ failure, delirium, and shock. Recovery is difficult, and outcomes vary: 20–90% of those infected will die, depending on the quality of medical care available.

Diagnosis and Treatment

There is no licensed vaccine or treatment for Marburg. Diagnosis involves advanced laboratory tests such as:

• Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
• ELISA antigen and antibody tests
• Virus isolation in secure labs

Supportive care remains the only option: hydration, oxygen support, treating secondary infections, and managing blood pressure can help improve survival.

Why This Discovery Matters

The footage from Python Cave adds a critical layer to how we understand zoonotic disease spillover—the process by which viruses jump from animals to humans. While past outbreaks focused primarily on human interaction with bats, this new evidence shows that wildlife feeding on bats may serve as a viral bridge, either infecting humans through hunting, shared habitats, or through the broader food chain.

This finding should push public health and conservation teams to expand surveillance not just on direct bat-human interactions, but also across the web of predatory and scavenger species that intersect with these viral reservoirs.