Insulin is a hormone that controls how much sugar the body uses. Storing extra fat in the abdominal region is a common symptom of elevated insulin levels, which can occur in insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
The adrenal glands secrete cortisol, a stress hormone, when confronted with a stressful situation. A high cortisol level is associated with a variety of poor health outcomes, including an increase in abdominal fat storage.
Estrogen is a female sex hormone that controls how fat is stored throughout the body. Fat accumulation in women is influenced by oestrogen, and as oestrogen levels decrease, fat is transferred to the abdominal region.
Female sex hormone progesterone is essential for ovulation and pregnancy. Abdominal fat gain has been linked to low progesterone levels.
Fat cells can be moved about the body with the help of the male sex hormone testosteron. The effects of testosterone cause men to store more fat in the abdominal region, but as men age, this fat may be redistributed to other areas of the body, such as the hips and thighs.
Low levels of thyroid hormones have been linked to increased body weight and visceral fat because of their involvement in regulating the body's metabolism.
This hormone, also known as ghrelin, is responsible for increasing appetite and, consequently, food consumption. Increased hunger and the development of belly fat have both been linked to elevated ghrelin levels.