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Review
. 2018 Jun;7(2):193-203.
doi: 10.1007/s13679-018-0306-y.

Stress and Obesity: Are There More Susceptible Individuals?

Eline S van der Valk  1   2 , Mesut Savas  1   2 , Elisabeth F C van Rossum  3   4
Affiliations
Review

Stress and Obesity: Are There More Susceptible Individuals?

Eline S van der Valk et al. Curr Obes Rep. 2018 Jun.

Abstract

Purpose of review: Stress has long been suspected to be interrelated to (abdominal) obesity. However, interindividual differences in this complex relationship exist. We suggest that the extent of glucocorticoid action partly explains these interindividual differences. We provide latest insights with respect to multiple types of stressors.

Recent findings: Increased long-term cortisol levels, as measured in scalp hair, are strongly related to abdominal obesity and to specific mental disorders. However, not all obese patients have elevated cortisol levels. Possibly, the interindividual variation in glucocorticoid sensitivity, which is partly genetically determined, may lead to higher vulnerability to mental or physical stressors. Other evidence for the important role for increased glucocorticoid action is provided by recent studies investigating associations between body composition and local and systemic corticosteroids. Stress may play a major role in the development and maintenance of obesity in individuals who have an increased glucocorticoid exposure or sensitivity. These insights may lead to more effective and individualized obesity treatment strategies.

Keywords: Corticosteroids; Cortisol; Glucocorticoid receptor; Glucocorticoid receptor polymorphisms; Hair cortisol; Obesity; Stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

Eline S. van der Valk, Mesut Savas, and Elisabeth F.C. van Rossum declare that they have no conflict of interest.

EFCvR is supported by a Vidi grant from the Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research NWO (grant number: 91716453).

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Conceptual model of the interplay between the stress system and obesity. Various individual characteristics are proposed to play a role in initiating a vicious circle of increased activation of the stress system (both by perceived chronic stress as well as increased net glucocorticoid effect by either endogenous or exogenous GCs) and obesity in a bidirectional manner. Abbreviations: GC, glucocorticoid; SNP, single nucleotide polymorphism; OSA, obstructive sleep apnea
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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