Unexplained Weight Gain: Are High Levels of Cortisol the Culprit?

Weight management is one of the most prominent health concerns around the globe today and for good reason. No matter what a person's standard of beauty is, obesity raises a person's risk for serious health problems from heart disease to diabetes. Anyone who has tried to lose or control their weight knows that the deck feels stacked against you. Sometimes you can follow a healthy diet and exercise regimen and still have unexplained weight gain. Why? The answer could lie in a hormone that worked great for our ancestors but it isn't so great today: cortisol. What is Cortisol? Cortisol is a hormone that's linked to your body's fight or flight response. When early humans were faced with a source of stress, it was usually a physical threat. For example,...