Stress: Can it make you fat?

Cortisol is a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands in response to stress. During times of physical stress or illness, your body produces higher amounts of several hormones, including cortisol. This increased cortisol production usually lasts only a few days and then returns to normal. It doesn't cause weight gain or any of the other effects of long-term exposure to high cortisol levels, which is called Cushing's syndrome.

Emotional stress in some people also can be associated with mild increases in cortisol production. It is possible — but very unusual — for weight gain or other physical signs of Cushing's syndrome to develop due to this increase.