India, April 30 -- An inordinate number of health influencers online are talking about the "cortisol belly" and "cortisol face," claiming that this phenomenon is caused by the excess release of the body's main stress hormone. They're also offering prevention strategies that range from scientific to anecdotal, along with before-and-after visuals (see right) that can convince even the hardest of sceptics. No wonder hashtags like #CortisolBelly, #HormoneBalance, and #NervousSystemRegulation are trending on social media, with Google searches for these terms spiking, especially in Western countries.

Health experts warn that this trend repackages diet culture as 'self-care' and 'hormone healing'.

"'Cortisol' is a buzzword used to sell product...