Hormonal Belly

There are likely several factors at play.

Everyone has some belly fat. But if you suddenly notice you’ve gained weight around your midsection and have not changed your nutrition, sleep, or fitness habits, you may wonder if you have a hormonal belly. FYI: "Hormonal belly" isn't a medical term (despite what social media might have you believe!). But it's possible to gain weight around your stomach because of hormonal imbalances, doctors say.

"Hormones are signals that communicate throughout the body to keep our bodies functioning optimally," says Aviva Cohn, MD, an assistant professor of medicine in the division of endocrinology, metabolism, and research at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. "We have hormones that function to maintain all aspects of our health, including our appetite and satiety, general metabolism, reproduction, and more. When certain hormones are in excess or deficient, there can be effects which can lead to belly fat gain."

But it's worth noting that there are usually a few factors beyond body chemicals that play into weight gain, points out Mir Ali, MD, a bariatric surgeon and the medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. "A lot depends on where a person tends to deposit fat," he explains. "Certain people tend to deposit more in the belly than in other areas."

In general, men tend to build up more fat in their belly, while women gain more in their hips and thighs, Dr. Ali says. That said, certain conditions that lead to hormonal imbalances could cause you to gain weight in your midsection that you weren't expecting, he says. (More on those in a sec.)

Curious to know if you’re dealing with a hormonal belly? Read on to learn more about the possible causes.

Meet the experts: Aviva Cohn is an endocrinologist and assistant professor of medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Mir Ali is a bariatric surgeon and the medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center.

There are a few potential health conditions that could cause your hormones to be out of whack—and lead to weight gain.

Hypothyroidism happens when your thyroid gland doesn't make enough thyroid hormones to meet your body's needs. It can cause the following symptoms, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK):

An underactive thyroid is "more common in women" and "can also be associated with a slower metabolism and modest weight gain," Dr. Cohn says.

Cushing's is a hormonal disorder caused by prolonged exposure to high levels of the stress hormone cortisol, according to NIDDK. It is rare—only 40 to 70 people out of every million have it, the NIDDK says. Symptoms can include:

Menopause is a time in your life when you stop having periods and your ovaries stop making estrogen, per the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). "As women age and estrogen, the female reproductive hormone, is depleted, there can be changes to the metabolism of fat that can lead to belly fat gain," Dr. Cohn explains.

Symptoms of menopause can include the following, according to Mayo Clinic:

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) causes symptoms like irregular periods, infertility, obesity, and excess hair growth, per ACOG. It's believed to be caused by insulin resistance, increased levels of hormones called androgens, and an irregular menstrual cycle, and it could contribute to the buildup of belly fat, Dr. Ali says.

Keep this in mind, though, per Dr. Cohn: Sometimes there can be an identifiable cause behind belly fat gain like a specific hormone, but most of the time there are many contributing factors (how you eat and how much you exercise still count!).

It can be tough to know if hormones are behind your sudden weight gain. However, there may be some clues.

"Depending on the situation, weight gain can be associated with other symptoms," Dr. Cohn says. "Examining the context of the weight gain and sometimes checking certain blood tests can give insights into the cause and the best way to treat it."

For example, if your belly fat is linked to hypothyroidism, you’ll likely have other symptoms linked to the condition, like trouble tolerating the cold and constipation.

Weight gain around your waistline is usually not caused by hormones alone. "Most of the time, belly fat gain is a reflection of a combination of factors, and less commonly due to one specific hormone," Dr. Cohn says.

It's important to note that "there's no way to just target belly fat," per Dr. Ali. Basically, if you happen to gain weight in your belly, it's hard to lose weight just in your belly.

Still, if you’ve developed belly fat and you suspect that it's hormone-related, experts say there are a few things you can do:

While it's entirely possible that your belly fat could be the result of a hormonal imbalance, it's rarely the only contributing factor. "Hormones can certainly contribute to weight gain, but they are not the only reason for weight gain," Dr. Ali says. "Diet and exercise play a role too."

So, if you gain weight in your stomach, the odds are high it's not just due to hormones, Dr. Ali says. Still, if you suspect you may have developed a belly due to hormonal imbalance, Dr. Cohn recommends reaching out to your doctor about next steps.

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