How do we eradicate hidden intra-abdominal fat that can potentially cause life threatening conditions? According to Dr. Shawn Talbott, nutritional biochemist at the University of Utah and author of "The Cortisol Connection--Why Stress Makes You Fat and Ruins Your Health," the key to losing this fat is maintaining cortisol levels. Elevated cortisol causes an increase in weight-related biological functions-- heightened blood sugar, appetite, and fat storage in the abdomen and belly. In addition to stressing the importance of exercise and well balanced diets, Dr. Talbott formulated the popular dietary supplement, Cortislim, to help manage stress and control cortisol levels, allowing the release of the intra-abdominal fat cells dangerous to our well-being.

Do you fret about those few extra pounds (or more) you see in the mirror? Well, here’s an unsettling fact—it’s actually the fat you can’t see that poses the greatest health risk.

“Hidden intra-abdominal fat can get a stranglehold around vital organs, deep within the belly,” says Dr. Shawn Talbott, author of ‘The Cortisol Connection—Why Stress Makes You Fat and Ruins Your Health.’ “It can become a serious risk factor leading to life-threatening conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and cancer.”

Director of the Nutrition Clinic at the University of Utah, Dr. Talbott has spent 15 years researching nutrition, exercise and the relationship between a primary stress hormone called cortisol, and how daily stress is linked to a myriad of health issues—including weight gain.

“In today’s world, we’re bombarded with stress,” he says. “Each stressful moment—work, relationships, bills, traffic—triggers the release of cortisol into our blood stream. Chronically elevated cortisol levels cause blood sugar to rise, appetite and cravings to increase, and signals the body to store stubborn fat cells in the abdomen and belly.”

Dr. Talbott believes proper diet; regular exercise and dietary supplements, including a popular weight loss supplement he formulated called CortiSlim, can help to control cortisol levels.

“CortiSlim’s cortisol-control formula addresses the root cause of weight gain—daily stress and high cortisol levels,” he said. “When cortisol levels are brought under control, a number of positive physiological changes occur, including less ‘stress eating’ and fewer cravings for carbohydrates and sugary foods. CortiSlim helps the body to release stored fat from the fat cells in the abdomen and belly—thus reducing the dangerous intra-abdominal fat we can’t see.”

For more information about Dr. Talbott’s cortisol-control research, go to www.cortisol.com.