Abstract <p>In recent years, the changes underlying metabolically unhealthyvisceral obesity and leading to the development of cardiometabolicrisk factors have been defined as a state of uncontrollable secretionof adipokines and cytokines by the enlarged volume of visceral adiposetissue. Meanwhile, deviations in the production of a whole rangeof hormones can cause an increase in body fat and contribute tothe formation of various obesity phenotypes with different patternsof adipose tissue distribution. This review summarizes current informationon key hormones whose altered levels may contribute to the developmentof obesity and affect body composition (ghrelin, leptin, adiponectin,estrogens, androgens, and others). A feature of this review is acomparative analysis of sex differences in the role of hormones andtheir contribution to energy metabolism, obesity pathogenesis, andthe formation of various phenotypes. It also briefly characterizesthe hormonal changes that arise as a consequence of obesity development.Identifying hormonal profiles characteristic of different obesityphenotypes will improve the diagnosis, prognosis, and personalizationof treatment for this pandemic.</p>