What Is A Stress Belly: How To Treat and Prevent It?

Long-term stress can affect your mental and physical health. It can even cause a little excess weight around the waist, and excess belly fat is not good for you.

Stress belly is not a medical diagnosis. It is a way of describing how stress and stress hormones affect your abdomen.

Read this article to explore:

• Things that cause stress belly
• What you could do about it
• Whether it’s preventable

What Is a Stress Belly?



"Stress belly refers to excessive abdominal fat caused by chronic stress."

Check out some of the ways your body responds to stress and how these responses can lead to stress belly.

What Causes Stress Belly? 

The excess fat around the abdomen can be attributed to several factors. 

• Aging
• Genetics
• Eating habits
• Cortisol imbalance 

Cortisol is a stress hormone that regulates metabolism and blood sugar levels. It can also help you stay motivated and focused. 

Cortisol usually rises in the morning because many people need to perform their best at this time. In addition, exercise and acute stress also help release cortisol and regulate energy.

High cortisol levels linked with abdominal obesity/belly fat: 



Long-term high cortisol levels are closely associated with abdominal obesity, according to a review study.

However, not all obese people have high cortisol levels. The researchers suggest that genes may play a role in glucocorticoid sensitivity.

Short-term stress can cause stomach problems like diarrhea and vomiting. Irritable bowel syndrome can be the result of prolonged stress. If you already have irritable bowel syndrome, stress can make gas and bloating worse.

How to Treat Stress Belly?

Genetics affects where the body stores fat: age, hormones, and the number of children a woman gives birth also to impact.



After menopause, when estrogen levels drop, women tend to gain more visceral fat.

Nevertheless, you can still take some steps to lose belly fat.

First of all, avoid all those "quickly lose belly fat" solutions because there is no quick solution. Making lifestyle choices with a slow and steady mindset is the best option for long-term positive results.

Here are some suggestions:

Reduce Psychological Stress

Everyone has stress. There is no way to eliminate it from your life, but there are some ways to reduce and manage stress:

Take a break: Relax after a hard day. Hang out, listen to your favorite song, read a good book, or take a relaxing cup of tea. Do anything that makes you feel calm and satisfied, even if it is only a few minutes.

Meditation: Research indicates that meditation reduces psychological stress. You can choose from different meditation techniques, so the other may work best if one is not suitable for you.

Socialize: Whether it's movie night with your partner, dinner with friends, or jogging with your neighbor, connecting with others can help you get rid of stress.

the condition, you should:

• Learn how to cope and reduce stress
• Get more sunshine
• Manage your weight
• Eat a balanced diet
• Eat stress-reducing foods
• Do some exercise every day
• Try deep breathing techniques
• Do not smoke or quit smoking
• Drink alcohol in moderation
• Cut back on caffeine
• Get a good night's sleep
• Reduce stress with self-care
• If working from home create a clock-out time for work

So what are the best belly fat-burning exercises?

An exercise you'll do consistently, but research suggests that a combination of high-intensity interval training - HIIT and strength training is one of your best options.

When Should You See A Healthcare Provider?

If you experience chronic stress, make an appointment with your healthcare provider, such as:

• Fatigue
• Anxiety or depression
• Difficulty sleeping
• Abdominal weight increasing rapidly
• Frequent bloating, gas, or other digestive problems