What Is a High Cortisol Result for Obese People?

Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands. It belongs to a category of glucocorticoids, meaning it can increase blood glucose levels. Cortisol is a part of the body's natural response to stress produced in response to physical or mental stress. This hormone is not the cause of obesity. The levels fluctuate throughout the day and are influenced by activity.Your body may produce more cortisol as a result of high-intensity training, low-calorie diet or lack of quality sleep. It's affected by job pressures and family problems and may rise in response to a simple situation like a traffic jam.

Effects

• There are three methods of testing cortisol levels.

  Normal cortisol level ranges between 4 and 22, and it's usually lower in the morning. Testing can be done on a blood sample, a saliva test or a 24-hour urine collection. Too much cortisol can cause high blood pressure, increased blood sugar, muscle weakness and osteoporosis. Low levels may be caused by hypothyroidism or an adrenal gland disorder. Chronically high levels of cortisol and low thyroid levels have been linked to weight gain and insomnia. Reduced kidney function, increased insulin resistance and decreased strength are common with increased cortisol levels.

Significance

• Cortisol stimulates fat storage and breakdown.

  Recent reports have suggested that elevated cortisol levels within fat cells cause obesity. Cortisol has been linked to obesity and the storage of fat below the skin, especially in the abdominal area. Studies were completed showing that cortisol affected movement and storage of fat cells and their breakdown into glycerol and fatty acids, which enter the bloodstream and are used for energy. Inaccurate interpretation of cortisol levels led to the conclusion that it was responsible for obesity. Studies went even further, concluding that stress was the ultimate cause of obesity. As a result, cortisol-suppressant supplements were recommended.

Relationship

• Cortisol levels fluctuate during the day.

  Scientists agree that there are more obese people today, but they question whether stress is a major causative factor. Some researchers believe that cortisol's connection to obesity should undergo further evaluation. Findings from earlier studies are in question. Cortisol-suppressant supplements are no longer recommended.

Considerations

• Diet and exercise affect weight.

  There are multiple systems involved in the body and brain that affect weight and appetite, and their relationships are complex. Glucocorticoids, like cortisol, are involved in the control of body weight but thyroxine and other hormones also affect it. Trauma and surgery are major stressors and many of the cortisol studies were done on recovering patients. Scientists question these results because test subjects were not part of a normal, healthy population.

Benefits

• Exercise and healthy diet are important.

  Further testing on the effects of cortisol has been advised. There are many factors that play a role in obesity and cortisol is just one. A cortisol level might be higher in an obese person one day and lower the next. Cortisol testing is useful in diagnosing Addison's disease, in which cortisol level is too low due to poor function of the adrenal glands. Levels are abnormally high with Cushing's Disease .