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Hormones that affect weight and well-being
Last reviewed: 06.07.2025
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Sometimes we don't understand why we start to lose weight or gain weight quickly. We think that overeating and not moving enough are to blame. In fact, the cause may be a hormonal imbalance in the body. Which hormones could be to blame?
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Thyroid hormones are the culprits of excess weight
Thyroid hormones are produced by the thyroid gland. The main two of them are hormone T3 and hormone T4. They participate in metabolic processes. Thanks to these hormones, we can feel a surge of energy or, conversely, a lack of it. These hormones control how our cells are saturated with energy and how we spend it.
If there is a shortage of thyroid hormones in the body, we can very quickly and imperceptibly gain weight, since the metabolism slows down significantly. In this case, even low-calorie diets may not help.
If there are more thyroid hormones than required, a person can feel simply brutal attacks of appetite. Then, of course, we gain weight again, and this process is very fast.
To avoid problems with excess weight, consult an endocrinologist in time for hormonal tests to determine the level of thyroid hormones in the blood.
Cortisol is the hormone of stress and excess weight
This hormone immediately begins to be produced in our body in increased doses as soon as we experience irritation, anxiety or fear. It is not for nothing that it is called the stress hormone. As soon as the level of cortisol in the body increases, we can gain excess weight. Why?
The thing is that when the amount of cortisol increases, adrenaline production automatically increases. And this leads to acute attacks of hunger. Have you noticed that many people who experience anxiety immediately start eating? They cannot be blamed for this, since the hormonal background of the body leads to an insatiable desire to eat more and more.
If you are constantly under stress, then the level of "appetite hormones" in your blood is high. This means that it will be increasingly difficult to control your state of hunger. It is better to consult a doctor to control your hormonal background. This will help to avoid problems with excess weight.
Glucagon and insulin
These are hormones that can directly affect blood glucose levels. Remember the so-called "blood sugar" tests? These are tests that show the glucose level. The hormones glucagon and insulin are also called hormones that counteract the effects of glucose.
The more insulin, the more it can lower blood glucose levels. That's why diabetics are treated with it. When insulin acts, glucose moves from the blood into muscle cells. And this leads either to fat deposits, which make us feel fatter and more solid, or to the production of energy, which we use for work, sex and rest.
Remember that if the insulin level in the blood is elevated, a woman's waist begins to thicken. This is a sign that can be used to determine hormonal imbalances.
As for glucagon, this hormone acts completely differently from insulin. That is, it increases the level of glucose in the blood. Glucagon helps our liver push glucose out of fats into the blood, it gets into muscle cells and is burned there.
Take hormonal tests on time and be healthy.