Presented work aimed at preparing literature review that could describe the contribution of Glucocorticoids (GC) and stress to pathogeny of diabetes mellitus and related disorders: Metabolic syndrome and obesity. This review includes the following topics: Effects of GC and stress on glucose metabolism, the role of GC and stress in pathogenetic mechanisms of clinical and experimental diabetes, the importance of catecholamines and other stress hormones in mechanisms of hypo and hyperglycemia, interactions of GC with high-fat diet, contribution of GC to comorbidity of metabolic and neuropsychiatric disorders, metabolic consequences of prolonged GC treatment, the role of GC in programming/imprinting phenomena, the importance of stress proteins in pathogeny of metabolic disorders and modes of counteracting stress and GC in diabetes and related diseases. The conclusion is made about the necessity of more detailed evaluation of the effects of hormones having antistress properties, as applied to metabolic disorders.