Even if they aren't gaining weight, many women detect an increase in belly fat as they age. This is most likely related to a drop in estrogen levels, which appear to control where fat is distributed throughout the body. Higher levels of estrogen have been shown to lead to more abdominal fat, while lower levels are associated with more fat stored in other areas of the body. Belly fat increases with age because your body's response to hormones changes as you get older. Testosterone and growth hormone decrease, while cortisol increases. These hormones influence how much fat you store where in your body. The more testosterone you have relative to estrogen, the more fat around your middle will grow. Lower ratios of testosterone to estrogen cause fat to accumulate in other areas of the body as well. Cortisol influences how much belly fat you have by making you feel hungry and tired all the time. When your body doesn't feel safe, it produces more cortisol which only makes things worse for your belly fat. Stress also affects how much testosterone you have so try not to stress out too much! As you get older, your body needs more insulin to process sugar. This means that you're at greater risk of developing diabetes later in life. Diabetes can lead to increased belly fat because you don't feel hungry even though you're taking in less energy than before.