Hormones And Weight Loss: How Are They Related
Each product listed below has been independently selected and evaluated by our healthcare editorial team - Learn more about our editorial process. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
This article is reviewed by a team of registered dietitians and medical doctors with extensive, practical clinical and public health experience.
On a usual basis, calorie intake is considered to be the major factor affecting weight gain and loss. On the other hand, food consumption is directly related to your calorie intake.
But did you know that hormones are a major factor that can help you maintain or lose weight the way you want it?
Scientists have been studying the claims that hormones have been one of the most vital players that affect weight management.
So in this article, we will discuss all hormones and how they can help you lose weight effectively and efficiently.

Contents
How Do Hormones Affect Weight?
The first question that comes to mind related to this bizarre yet common revelation is how hormones affect your weight.
Well, hormones can be counted as the most important factor that regulates your weight in all situations. Hormones have been considered to have a fullness factor when it comes to tackling hunger.
This happens to the functionality of hormones. Hormones regulate the appetite of a person. This is done to retain the energy levels in the body.
However, the imbalance in appetite-regulating hormones affects weight loss and also shows an impact on mental well-being as both weight loss and depression are interlinked.
Hormones That Affect Weight
The following are the hormones that may affect weight-
Ghrelin
Ghrelin is one of the most important hormones that impact your weight. This is a hunger hormone that is responsible for the stimulation of hunger in the body.
This is possible by this hormone’s ability to stimulate the hypothalamus of our brain. Stimulating hunger is also responsible for keeping our sleep cycle in check and the metabolism of glucose.
Insulin
Insulin is yet another very important hormone in our body that is responsible for regulating blood sugar levels in our body.
This hormone is secreted by the pancreas and balances the energy in the body while regulating sugar levels.
The simple method through which this hormone helps reduce weight is by interesting the brain to reduce the food intake on the increased secretion of insulin after a meal.
Motilin
Motilin is also a hormone that helps the digestion of food in our body. This hormone is present in the small intestine, which also secretes this hormone.
Contrary to the previous hormones discussed, this hormone induces hunger in the body.
With low food consumption and a tight diet, Motilin inbox the intestinal contractions that further tell the brain to demand food for energy.
This hormone, if used correctly, can help you get in shape very quickly while regulating your eating time whenever required.
Cholecystokinin
Commonly known as CCK, Cholecystokinin is a very vital hormone present in the cells of the intestine that work well with fats and proteins and can help digest them pretty well to provide your required energy and strength.
This is a satiety hormone that indicates fullness to the brain and stimulates the reduction of food consumption automatically.
This also includes gallbladder contractions and pancreatic secretions to help reduce food consumption.
Neuropeptide Y (NPY)
Neuropeptide Y is a short chain of amino acids, also called peptides. These short peptides are released by the brain, which stimulates food intake.
These peptides are triggered by and work with ghrelin and leptin.
The indications given by these hormones are triggered with neuropeptide Y and further, stimulate fullness in the body and prevent the further consumption of food.
The regulation of other hormones like ghrelin and leptin help in the further functionality of this hormone.
Obestatin
Obestatin is also an appetite-related hormone that affects a person’s appetite by suppressing it.
This hormone works in opposition to ghrelin and reduces the hunger-inducing effect.
Besides this factor, this hormone is yet under the observation of scientists to find the proper functionality of this hormone to find out the real effect of obestatin on weight loss.
Currently, the research is studying the impact of this hormone on hunger and fullness in the body. This hormone or peptide is released by the stomach, and it’s present in the gastrointestinal tract.
Leptin
Leptin is also an important hormone present in the body that helps you induce the feeling of fullness to reduce your food intake further.
Obese people usually find problems with the functionality of this hormone but eating the right amount of food and exercising well can keep the functionality of leptin good.
Reduction in the conjunction of inflammatory food and eating more fatty food can help improve the sensitivity of this hormone.
Cortisol
Cortisol also known as the stress hormone, is a very famous hormone present in the body. This hormone is usually secreted under stress which can easily induce hunger and cause overeating.
This is why cortisol levels must be kept in a regulated amount. Higher amounts of this hormone can cause weight gain rather than loss.
Keeping a peaceful mind and avoiding as much as being responsible can help you keep cortisol levels in check.
Eating a balanced diet and sleeping right on time can also help keep cortisol levels at the right amount. This way, you do not need to cut your diet to lose weight and get at least 7 hours of sleep and rest.
Estrogen
Commonly prominent in female bodies, estrogen can cause weight gain in both cases of high and low amounts of estrogen.
It is best to keep estrogen levels in check to avoid weight gain ornaments. This can be done by exercising well and including cruciferous vegetables and flaxseeds in your diet.
While this hormone is very important in female bodies, it is still advised to keep this hormone in check.
One must not let it go extremely low or high to avoid immense weight gain.
On the other hand, the consumption of high amounts of fiber can also help you reduce estrogen in your body or keep it in check.
These hormones are the ones that can be regulated to keep your body in check and help in reducing weight efficiently and effectively.
Still, there are some cases of hormonal imbalances which one cannot control, which may have adverse effects on your body, and so on.
Therefore it is advised to keep your hormones in check and not reduce the wave or then the required amount.
One way to do it is by checking the levels of hormones in your body to balance them to the right amount further.
This will avoid hormonal imbalance in your body while also helping you introduce weight to an adequate level.
Furthermore, hormones affect the weight of the body by regulating fat storage and its breakdown.
On the other hand, it can also cause body fat accumulation. Another effect of hormones on our body is the regulation of energy expenditure which is induced by hormones in our body.
Overactive Hormones can cause much more problems than just weight gain.
Conclusion
Hormones are critical factors that affect the daily lives of human beings. Every hormone is not different for each body type ranging from hunger to fat distribution, which they regulate.
Unhealthy habits like overeating, bad sleep, and other factors can adversely affect the functionality of hormones and cause problems like weight gain and other serious issues.
On the other hand, the over-activeness of hormones also causes many issues besides weight gain. At the same time, fewer hormones of certain kinds could lead to loss of appetite as well, which could ultimately lead to loss of appetite as well.
To balance hormonal secretions, one must keep their food consumption, sleep cycle, stress levels, and medical conditions and inject healthy amounts.