Q&A: Weight Loss and Thyroid

A: The thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland which wraps around the front part of the windpipe just below the Adam's apple. It produces hormones that regulate the body's metabolism and organ function. Indeed, the thyroid gland can be considered "Gland Central," because its hormone influences essentially every organ, every tissue and every cell in the body.

I recommend you to visit an excellent site completely devoted to the problem, the Thyroid Desiase by About.com Guide Mary Shomon.

Q: Why does it influence the body weight?

A: In a way any obesity case may include a thyroid component in its pathogenesis, at least as the result of a vicious circle created by altered energy balance.

Q: Are there chances that the reason of my excessive weight is my thyroid?

A: Chances are it is. 18% out of the 2672 obese patients in the clinical study conducted by the La Sapienza University in Rome, turned out to have an undiagnosed thyroid disease.

Q: How do I know if it is reason of my weight problem?

A: Early symptoms of an underactive thyroid, such as sluggishness and fatigue, are often vague. It can be easy to discount them as simply "getting older." As your metabolism continues to slow, you may develop signs such as chronically cold hands or feet, constipation, pale and dry skin, a puffy face and a hoarse voice.

If these symptoms sound familiar to you, don't hesitate, go see your endocrinologist.

Q: How much people usually gain due to hypothyroidism?

A: When hypothyroidism occurs, all the body's weight gain is usually limited to 10 to 20 pounds including water retention.

Q: If I manage to lose weight, will my thyroid function improve?

A: You can benefit from the life style changes such as exercising more and eating healthier diet, even if you will not lose weight. Nutritional factors have some influence on the blood levels of thyroid hormones, However, the removal of obesity does not seem to have any independent effect in the long-run.

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