05/03/2026
“When it comes to the storage of visceral fat, that process is deeply tied to your stress hormones.
When cortisol stays elevated, your body shifts into survival mode…and one of the first things it does is store fat around your organs.
Why?
Because cortisol raises blood sugar, triggers insulin, and signals your body to hold onto energy…especially in the form of visceral fat.
Over time, that creates of cascade of other issues...high blood sugar, increased inflammation, slower metabolism, and hormone imbalances.
And here’s the part most people miss…
Cortisol isn’t the enemy.
It’s designed to protect you…to help you respond to stress, regulate energy, and keep you alive in the right moments.
But when it stays elevated for too long, that’s when things start to break down.
Sleep gets disrupted.
Thyroid function slows.
S*x hormones shift.
Your body stays stuck in a constant “fight-or-flight” state.
So many people today are dealing with chronic stress that just never turns off.”
Dr Josh Axe
