- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the nutrition and healthy eating guide, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.
A Marinette, Wis., native, Katherine is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in wellness nutrition at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and nutrition education related to weight management and practical applications of nutrition-related lifestyle changes.
Other areas of interest include food and nutrition for all life stages, active lifestyles and the culinary arts.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
Weight-loss basics (8)
- Metabolism and weight
- Weight-loss hypnosis: Does it work?
- How is brown fat different from other fat?
- see all in Weight-loss basics
Diet plans (8)
- Vegetarian diet: Will it help me lose weight?
- Flat Belly Diet: Can it help you lose weight?
- HCG diet: Is it safe and effective?
- see all in Diet plans
Mayo Clinic diet (1)
- Weight loss: Better to cut calories or exercise more?
Diet and exercise (4)
- Can I use yoga for weight loss?
- Walking: Is it enough for weight loss?
- Negative-calorie foods: Diet gimmick or weight-loss aid?
- see all in Diet and exercise
Diet pills, supplements and surgery (14)
- Lipovarin: An effective weight-loss supplement?
- Ear stapling for weight loss: Does it work?
- Coconut oil and weight loss: Does it work?
- see all in Diet pills, supplements and surgery
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Question
CortiSlim: Do cortisol blockers aid weight loss?
Can cortisol blockers such as CortiSlim help me lose weight?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
There is no solid evidence that cortisol blockers such as CortiSlim lead to weight loss.
Manufacturers of cortisol blockers claim that high stress levels increase your body's production of the hormone cortisol, which in turns increases appetite and weight gain. However, the connection between stress hormones and weight gain is largely based on anecdotal evidence, with only a few studies supporting it. More important, there's no evidence that blocking cortisol results in weight loss.
Indeed the Federal Trade Commission charged the marketers of some cortisol blockers with making false and unsubstantiated claims about their products' effectiveness for weight loss. As a result, the companies had to pay millions of dollars in refunds and to stop making unproven claims about their products.
Bottom line: Steer clear of weight-loss products that make unproven claims. Instead, focus on reducing your calorie intake and increasing your activity level.
Next questionBitter orange weight-loss supplements: Do they work?
- Diet weight loss supplements: CortiSlim. CortiSlim.com. http://www.cortislim.com/. Accessed Dec. 9, 2011.
- George SA, et al. CRH-stimulated cortisol release and food intake in healthy, nonobese adults. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2010;35:607.
- Vicennati V, et al. Stress-related development of obesity and cortisol in women. Obesity. 2009;17:1678.
- Roberts C, et al. The effects of stress on body weight: Biological and psychological predictors of change in BMI. Obesity. 2007;15:3045.
- Torres SJ, et al. Relationship between stress, eating behavior, and obesity. Nutrition. 2007;23:887.
- Bauer BA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 9, 2011.
- Federal Trade Commission reaches New Year's resolutions with four major weight-control pill marketers. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2007/01/weightloss.shtm. Accessed Dec. 9, 2011.
- Refunds for consumers who purchased CortiSlim or CortiStress. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2007/09/corti.shtm. Accessed Dec. 9, 2011.
- Zeratsky KA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 9, 2011.
- Bray GA, et al. Drug therapy of obesity. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 7, 2011.
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