The present invention relates to compounds, compositions, and methods for the study, diagnosis, and treatment of traits, diseases and conditions that respond to the modulation of 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-1 (11 beta-HSD-1) gene expression and/or activity. The present invention is also directed to compounds, compositions, and methods relating to traits, diseases and conditions that respond to the modulation of expression and/or activity of genes involved in 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-1 (11 beta-HSD-1) gene expression pathways or other cellular processes that mediate the maintenance or development of such traits, diseases and conditions. Specifically, the invention relates to double stranded nucleic acid molecules including small nucleic acid molecules, such as short interfering nucleic acid (siNA), short interfering RNA (siRNA), double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), micro-RNA (miRNA), and short hairpin RNA (shRNA) molecules capable of mediating RNA interference (RNAi) against 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-1 (11 beta-HSD-1) gene expression, including cocktails of such small nucleic acid molecules and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations of such small nucleic acid molecules. The present invention also relates to small nucleic acid molecules, such as siNA, siRNA, and others that can inhibit the function of endogenous RNA molecules, such as endogenous micro-RNA (miRNA) (e.g, miRNA inhibitors) or endogenous short interfering RNA (siRNA), (e.g., siRNA inhibitors) or that can inhibit the function of RISC (e.g., RISC inhibitors), to modulate 11 beta-HSD-1 gene expression by interfering with the regulatory function of such endogenous RNAs or proteins associated with such endogenous RNAs (e.g., RISC), including cocktails of such small nucleic acid molecules and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations of such small nucleic acid molecules. Such small nucleic acid molecules and are useful, for example, in providing compositions to prevent, inhibit, or reduce metabolic diseases traits and conditions, including but not limited to diabetis (e.g., type I and/or type II diabetis), insulin resistance, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, cardiovascular disease and/or other disease states, conditions, or traits associated with 11 beta-HSD-1 gene expression or activity in a subject or organism.