New Delhi, June 2 -- If you eat well and exercise regularly but still can't lose belly fat, it may not be your routine that's the problem. The issue might be a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol, known as the body's stress hormone, affects how we respond to stress. When cortisol levels remain high for a long time, it can increase your appetite, disrupt your sleep, and promote fat storage, especially around your waist. This is often called "cortisol belly".

"A familiar patient walks into my clinic a professional in their late thirties, not overweight by the mirror's standard, yet carrying a waistline that keeps creeping outward despite 'eating clean'. We test, and the pattern repeats rising fasting insulin, stubborn visceral fat, and a lif...