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The Link Between Being Overweight and Hormonal Changes
Weight management isn’t always as simple as eating less and exercising more. Sometimes other factors can prevent you from losing weight or may cause you to gain weight. Addressing these extraneous factors can help you reach your weight loss goals more easily.
You might not realize the substantial role of hormones in weight loss. In fact, certain hormone fluctuations and disorders are linked with a slower metabolism, a bigger appetite, and weight gain. On the other hand, being overweight can also contribute to hormone changes.
Top-ranked physician and cardiologist Jeffrey H. Graf, MD, can help you balance your hormones and manage your weight at his private practice on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. He understands that not everyone experiences results from one-size-fits-all dieting and offers a personalized weight management program that addresses hormone imbalances.
In this article, you’ll learn the basics about the relationship between hormones and body fat and the difference that medical weight management can make if you’re struggling with weight loss.
Understanding hormones
Hormones are chemicals inside your body that control various processes, including metabolism, appetite, and sexual function. They also help determine where fat accumulates on your body. These hormones operate within the endocrine system, which interacts with other organs and systems to help you survive and adapt to different conditions.
If you have too much or too little of a particular hormone, you might experience problems with being overweight. Obesity can also cause hormone changes that can lead to an irregular menstrual cycle, sleep changes, sexual dysfunction, and other complications.
Which hormones are related to obesity?
Hormones that help control your metabolism, appetite, and body fat distribution are closely related to being overweight or obese. Here’s what you should know about these hormones and their relationship with obesity:
Insulin
You might know of insulin because of its relationship with diabetes. It’s a hormone that comes from your pancreas, which facilitates the conversion of glucose (blood sugar) into energy for your cells.
If you’re overweight or obese, your body can’t use insulin as efficiently as it typically would. This can lead to insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes.
Leptin
Your fat cells produce a hormone called leptin, which lowers your appetite. When you have more body fat, you have more leptin. However, being overweight or obese can reduce your body’s sensitivity to the hormone, so its appetite-suppressing abilities aren’t as strong. This can cause you not to feel full after meals and snacks, driving you to eat more.
Ghrelin
Ghrelin, a hormone produced in your stomach, is another hormone that influences your appetite. It signals when your stomach is empty, causing you to feel hungry. When your stomach is full, you have less ghrelin. Many people with obesity have low ghrelin or are naturally more sensitive to ghrelin.
Sex hormones
Sex hormones like estrogen play a strong role in determining your body fat distribution. Where your body fat is stored can put you at risk for specific chronic diseases like heart disease and stroke.
As your sex hormone levels fluctuate with age, so can your weight. Low estrogen can lead to excessive weight gain, which can happen to women in menopause, especially in the waist.
Balancing your hormones and medical weight management
The key to managing your weight and your hormones is a personalized weight loss program that accounts for hormonal changes. Dr. Graf can walk you through a three-phase medical weight management program starting with a nutrient-rich, low-calorie diet.
He evaluates your hormones and other health factors during your initial visit to make personalized recommendations, and then he supports you to make sure you achieve your goals and maintain your results.
There is a link: If you’re overweight and you’ve been struggling to lose those extra pounds, hormones could be part of the problem. To get started with a hormone-friendly weight management program, call the office of Jeffrey H. Graf, MD, to request an appointment today.
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