PCOS and Weight Loss Struggles

Obesity and Hormones: What Your Body Isn’t Telling You?

We all know that obesity means too much body fat. But most people think obesity happens only because someone eats too much junk food or does not exercise enough. This is only partly true.

The real reason behind obesity is sometimes hidden inside your body—in your hormones. Hormones are natural chemicals that your body makes to control important functions, including your weight. If these hormones go out of balance, your body starts storing more fat, even if you eat less or exercise.

Dr Shreya Sharma, known as the best endocrinologist in Dehradun, explains that hormones control your metabolism, hunger, fat burning, and energy levels. When these hormones don’t work correctly, they can cause unexplained weight gain. As a leading hormone doctor in Dehradun, she helps people find and fix these hidden causes of obesity.

What is Obesity?

Obesity means your body has too much fat stored, and this fat starts affecting your health. Obesity increases the risk of:

  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • Heart disease
  • Joint problems
  • Breathing issue like sleep arnea
  • Infertility (problems in getting pregnant)
  • Some types of cancers

But obesity is not always due to overeating. Sometimes, it happens because your hormones are sending wrong signals to your body.

What Are Hormones and How Do They Affect Weight?

Hormones are your body’s natural chemical messengers. They travel through your blood and tell different organs what to do. Hormones control:

  • How hungry you feel?
  • How fast your body burns calories?
  • Heart disease
  • How much fat your body stores?
  • How much energy you have?

If these hormones get out of balance, you may feel hungry all the time, your body might store more fat, and you may feel tired even after resting.

Important Hormones That Control Your Weight

  • Insulin: The Fat-Storing Hormone Insulin is made by your pancreas and helps control blood sugar levels. Every time you eat, insulin helps your body use sugar for energy. But if you eat too much sugar or carbs (like white bread, sweets, or sodas), your body makes too much insulin.
  • This leads to weight gain—especially around your belly.

    • Storing more fat
    • Burning less fat
    • Feeling hungry often

This leads to weight gain—especially around your belly.

  • Leptin: The Fullness Hormone Leptin is made by fat cells and tells your brain you are full after eating. Normally, when you eat, leptin rises and tells your brain to stop eating.
  • But in obese people, leptin levels are very high. You might think this should stop hunger—but the opposite happens. The brain stops listening to leptin, a condition called leptin resistance. So, even if your body has plenty of fat, your brain still thinks you are starving—leading to overeating.