Jul 26, 2026 – 5.00amAt her private clinic in Sydney’s Neutral Bay, nutritionist Sarah Di Lorenzo regularly helps clients who are battling weight issues. “So many times I’ve had people come to see me that say: ‘I’m struggling to lose weight, I’ve got belly fat that just won’t budge, I’ve done diet after diet – I can’t do it.’ And I say to them: ‘It’s highly likely you’re resistant to insulin.’”Insulin is the hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood. Its purpose is to unlock your cells to absorb glucose and use it for energy. But if your body becomes resistant to insulin, your pancreas compensates by pumping out more to force the glucose into the cells. This can lead to stubborn weight gain because if your insulin levels are too high, your body is more likely to store fat.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Luke BenedictusContributorLuke Benedictus is the Financial Review’s watch writer.Fetching latest articles