This invention is directed to the discovery that 11-Beta Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 may be a common molecular etiology for visceral obesity and the metabolic syndrome of obesity as well a treatment for diabetes, especially type II diabetes. The present invention also relates to the use of certain compounds as inhibitors of 17-Beta Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 and their use for the treatment of cancer, especially breast cancer.