Hormones are often blamed when body weight changes unexpectedly or abdominal fat becomes harder to manage. There is some truth behind the connection—but the relationship between hormones and fat storage is considerably more complex than “hormonal imbalance causes weight gain.” Hormones influence appetite, fullness, glucose metabolism, energy expenditure, and where fat tends to be stored. At the same time, genetics, food intake, physical activity, sleep, medications, aging, an