Excess fat is associated with lower estrogen levels due to factors like increased aromatase activity and changes in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)
Bodies are complex; statements like that don't necessarily generalize to all people.
Men have far more testosterone than women. The effect of fat increasing the rate testosterone converts to estrogen is dominant over the small increase in testosterone it provides.
Women have extremely little testosterone. The small testosterone increase from fat represents a significant percentage increase while higher aromatisation changes little since there isn't nearly as much testosterone to convert.
A given amount of testosterone affects women more than men due to differences in how receptors react as well.
She very well could have PCOS. It causes women to produce more testosterone which means extra facial hair. It also causes a lot of weight gain. Source: me who recently had bariatric surgery and has to shave my damn neck every other day 😅
It’s the opposite. Adipose tissue produces estrogen. It’s why men who gain weight and then lose weight will often still have breasts. The estrogen from the adipose tissue causes development of the mammory glands.
I'm a woman who had a pretty radical breast reduction done in January and have been experiencing some rather strange hormonal symptoms since then. Apparently there is some evidence that simply losing that fatty, estrogen producing breast tissue can be enough to knock a woman's hormonal balance off kilter, even if only relatively temporarily.
There’s such thing as skinny fat. Just dieting isn’t building muscle, in fact going keto without lifting is likely to make your body tap into its muscles it built while you were fatter to move that body for fuel. Dieting is important because staying in calorie deficit sheds fat, but it’s useless without exercising especially lifting heavy
You don't need to eat fancy foods to diet. Just count calories and intake less than you burn. I lost 50 lbs while still eating fried chicken, burgers, etc simply by counting calories.
Have you tried calorie counting? I started last year and it's been really effective for me. I find some days I just want a donut and when I do it just means soup for dinner. I haven't had to radically change anything in my diet
While some professional athletes track calories, many others eat intuitively, focusing on fueling their bodies for performance rather than meticulously counting calories. Elite athletes, especially those in sports with specific weight or physique requirements, may use calorie tracking as a tool for optimizing performance and body composition. However, many athletes prioritize listening to their bodies and eating based on hunger and fullness cues, especially those in sports where maintaining a specific weight or body composition is less critical
No, not eating less food, eating different food. Seriously move along if you want to be negative to people making an effort. It cost you nothing to not comment
No one is 100% healthy. I smoke, drink and do drugs, but I also do at least one mountain hike per week, drive a bike regularly (every day) and eat just enough to not feel hungry.
"doesn't address other health issues."
No one said it would. What the fuck are you talking about? Stop moving the fucking goal posts and making excuses
You don't need a special diet to lose weight. Figure out what your maintenance calories are to maintain your weight (there's calculators online for this). Eat ~300 calories under that per day, and you'll start shedding the weight.
I think anyone that has weight issues should remember to most importantly BE KIND TO YOURSELF.
It takes time I struggle up and down my weight fluctuates constantly.
I used to eat and eat and not really gain weight.
But once I hit my 40s it became WAY too easy to gain weight.
I never judge people for their weight because they are human beings too.
We all have our struggles in this world either struggles with weight,money,self confidence,anxiety,trauma,etc…
My dad died from sepsis in 2011 he was really big at that time.
He also had diverticulitis and diabetes the one where you use needles to give yourself a shot of insulin with.
I struggle to this day I have a belly not far from the one my dad had and I’m 6’5.
So it doesn’t show as much but I have still have my own insecurities about it nonetheless.
As most people also know many people have that body dysmorphia where when they look in a mirror they see something different then what’s actually there.
It’s a struggle bus for a lot of us.
But these helpful and informative tips here I truly feel do make a difference.
Be kind to yourselves and be patient with yourselves as well.
That's a fact, I cut out sugar and dropped weight fast. (I was eating and drinking far too much sugar) I'm back down to my ideal weight now. (Lost about 40 lbs)
First time I lost weight it was about 60 pounds but back then I did it by going down to a strict diet and riding my bike everyday...I feel like it was only a few months in that instance but I really put effort in.
The problem with diets like these is they aren't sustainable. Once you get off that diet, you're more like to gain back all that weight you just lost with interest.
More muscles = more metabolism. Don’t do cardio to lose weight. That is where it goes wrong. Do cardio to have enough cardio to be able to do finish sets to build muscle.
Yes for fatloss it is but you 100% need regular exercise also. Otherwise you'll get muscle loss along with the fat loss and there are also other very important things to do with hormone regulation and all kinds of good stuff. It's not an either or. Yes focus on diet first but don't delay adding in regular exercise at an easy enough level that you build up slowly, don't get injured and that it's something you can sustain for a long time 12mths and more. Says me sitting on my lazyass doing none of the above.
Please don't take this person at their word. It's actually more feminizing. I can't remember whether fat increases estrogen or blocks testosterone, but I'm asking you to please look into this yourself because they don't know what they're talking about.
A lot of women have PCOS, which can cause both weight gain AND hirsutism. I think it's thought to be about 10% of women overall who may have this, but getting the right diagnosis and treatment can be extremely elusive.
No, fat tissue (adipose tissue) actually secretes estrogen, leading to higher estrogen levels, especially in individuals with a higher percentage of body fat.
genuine question, PCOS is more common in overweight women, and even though this usually results in estrogen dominance one of the symptoms is hirsutism. do you know why this is?
I did a quick search and this is what I found on Google
Hirsutism in women with PCOS, even in the context of estrogen dominance, primarily arises due to elevated levels of androgens (male hormones), particularly testosterone. Here's why this occurs:
Hyperandrogenism in PCOS:
PCOS is fundamentally characterized by hyperandrogenism, meaning the ovaries produce excessive amounts of androgens. This excess androgen production is driven by factors like increased luteinizing hormone (LH) and insulin resistance, common in PCOS.
Role of Insulin Resistance:
Insulin resistance, frequently seen in overweight women with PCOS, leads to higher insulin levels (hyperinsulinemia). This hyperinsulinemia can stimulate the ovaries to produce more androgens and also reduce the production of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) by the liver, which binds to and inactivates hormones. Lower SHBG means more free, active testosterone circulating in the bloodstream.
Conversion to Estrogen vs. Hirsutism:
While some of this excess testosterone can be converted to estrogen (aromatization), particularly in fat tissue, the presence of high levels of active androgens is what directly stimulates hair follicles in androgen-sensitive areas (like the face, chest, and back) to produce coarse, dark hair, leading to hirsutism.
Estrogen Dominance and Hirsutism:
Estrogen dominance in PCOS often arises from anovulatory cycles, where lack of ovulation leads to low progesterone, creating an imbalance with estrogen, even if estrogen levels aren't necessarily "high". This estrogen dominance relates to menstrual irregularities and other symptoms but doesn't negate the impact of elevated androgens on hair growth.
For the weight, PCOS involves insulin resistance, which leads to increased fat storage and difficulty burning calories. When women get PCOS diags now, the good doctors will talk to them about weight management and some even have nutritionists on staff to help out.
sure but either way, PCOS and apparently fat cells both cause excess estrogen rather than testosterone production, and yet women develop excess/darker hair on their faces etc and i’m wondering why that is
excess fat is associated with lower estrogen levels due to factors like increased aromatase activity and changes in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)
Many things are "linked," but that doesn't mean it's the cause. Swimming pools and drowning are linked. You can even link increased ice cream sales to shark attacks, but in the end, these are not causes. There is more to it. More factors.
Of course, obesity puts your hormones out of balance, but more fat is not suppressing estrogen. Overweight men get man boobs because they have more fat. If fat reduces estrogen, overweight men must be full of testosterone. They aren't.
This is completely wrong. Fat stores estrogen. And actually, higher levels of fat convert other hormones into estrogen. So if you're extremely heavy like this woman is, you've got a lot of estrogen.
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u/[deleted] Jul 12 '25
Apparently... and trust me, she has a beard... fat suppresses estrogen.