Stress may be inducing “cortisol belly” in some [Video]

SALT LAKE CITY — Not to stress you out, but that stubborn belly fat may be caused by . . . stress.

“We think of a beer belly where you have a protruding belly in the front,” explained Dr. Jake Veigel, lifestyle and sports physician with Intermountain Health.

“Cortisol belly, which is visceral fat, is not quite the same thing. It’s fat in and around the intestines and guts. Another term for it is mesenteric fat,” Veigel said.

Cortisol is a steroid hormone that is produced by our adrenal glands. It wakes us up in dangerous situations.

Fight or flight

“We think of fight or flight,” Veigel explained. “They teach you in elementary school. If you’re walking in the woods and you see a bear, you feel your heart racing. How many of us have come across a bear in the wild? Not very many, but it’s like we have that intensity with our jobs …