Lower thyroid activity tied to weight gain

[Celebration]

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL46971820080404

Middle-aged adults whose thyroid gland is mildly underactive, but still functioning in the normal range, may be more prone to weight gain, a new study suggests.

The thyroid is a gland in the neck that produces hormones that regulate the body's metabolism. In a disorder called hypothyroidism, the gland is underactive, causing symptoms such as fatigue, sensitivity to cold, dry skin and weight gain.

..........snip..................

In the current study, reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers looked at the relationship between body weight and levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in more than 2,400 middle-aged adults.

TSH is released by the brain to stimulate hormone production in the thyroid gland. Higher TSH levels in the blood indicate relatively lower activity in the thyroid.

In this study, men and women with relatively high, but still normal, TSH levels tended to weigh more at the outset than those with lower TSH concentrations.

[gateley]

1. And it depends on the lab where your blood is tested

to determine where you fall in the "normal" range.

For example, Lab A's normal range might be between 1-10, Lab B's between 2-13.

Also, in recent years "normal" has been given a second look. My endocrinologist's view of optimum TSH was below "normal" according to the general medical consensus.

Another note about weight: Liver.

I've had my thyroid removed and that caused some weight gain until I got the right dose of meds, but my real weight gain was a result of my liver (I also have Hep C). I began eating primarily organic food, loosely followed "The Liver Cleansing Diet" and cut out all additives, sugar, CRAP that put excess stress on my liver, and the weight disappeared.

[blue sky at night]

2. Hey thanks....

wish we could talk more about this kind of stuff! I have work to do....

[gateley]

7. LOTS of info on the internets,

and feel free to call on me whenever you want. One of the FEW areas in which I have first-hand knowledge! :hi:

[flor de jasmim]

3. my thyroid has always tested normal

but my basal temperature is low -- as long as my doctor says the range is normal, she won't give me anything. Were you able to bring your diet down entirely by the diet, or have you also had medication?

[gateley]

5. I had thyroid medication --

but that didn't affect my weight as much as the diet. But as I said, I think a lot of the gain was due to my liver.

And the reason I went that eating route is because the only "medication" for Hep C is essentially chemo, and I wasn't up for that.

You might want to see an endocrinologist if you have questions about your thyroid. I'd recommend going to about.com's health forum and checking out the thyroid area. People recommend endos in their areas, which is how I found mine. GP's just can't keep up with advancements in every area -- a GP told me a mole I had was normal, but I went to a dermatologist -- turns out it was melanoma. So see a a specialist if you can.

[flor de jasmim]

11. I'll check out the website, and I'll have to speak again with my primary care dr.

I'm an American living in Denmark, where we have socialized medicine (which is generally great)--no co-payments, everything "free" except for dental work, but we have to convince the primary care doctor to give a referral (and that can be difficult).

But I'll search the net for as much information as possible, since I have tried every diet.

[gateley]

12. The medical establishment

is too quick to brush off weight problems as someone not having enough will-power -- although that is changing, I believe. It's so often a symptom of other areas where things are awry.

See if you exhibit other symptoms. Bring in reports from endos showing what they feel to be the optimum TSH levels.

What DOES your Dr. say about your weight problem? What does s/he attribute it to?

[jeanruss]

4. fluoridated water

Fluoride is a known metabolic poison for the thyroid gland. Who is really behind this push for fluoridated water? Science has shown over and over that it harms human health as well as the environmnet. Most people don't know that the fluoride used in their water treatment is toxic waste from aluminum and pesticide production, as well as any nuclear product. As Europe has banned fluoride over 10 years ago, it is probably the main reason Americans are so much fatter than Europeans. Fluoride is now in so many products that use tap water to make, it is impossible to avoid it unless you live in a non-fluoridated community and only eat organic foods. Christopher Bryson's book "The Fluoride Deception" is an excellent reference that explains how this insidious practice began, how harmful it really is and who really benefits from the practice.

[gateley]

6. Kind of like the phenomenon that

when you buy a car, that's the only model you see on the street, when I learned of my thyroid condition, it seemed as though there was an epidemic of thyroid problems.

I've long believed the increase in affected people was a result of environmental factors, so your fluoride info makes sense.

[trotsky]

8. And it's a commie plot, too!

Don't forget that part!

[OKthatsIT]

14. Yeah, I read that as well. Flouride attacks thyroids

Thyroid tissue is the most delicate...and because it uptakes 'ionized compounds', it grabs hold of flouride, instead of flushing it out.

I also have no thyroid...I also grew up in an state that flouridated its water. I know many women with thyroid disorders...or, to put it simply...Women with no thyroids.

[mzmolly]

16. Geeze, that's not gooood.

Yikes, I drink tons of water.

“Over the past ten years a large body of http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/index.html">peer-reviewed science has raised concerns that fluoride may present unreasonable health risks, particularly among children, at levels routinely added to tap water in American cities.” - ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP, July 2005

[kestrel91316]

9. Sounds like SOMEBODY needs to reevaluate those supposed

"normal" values, if you ask me.........

[Viva_La_Revolution]

10. DUH!!!

My mom spent many years being told by her doctor that she was "eating too much" refusing the whole time to check her thyroid level. It was non-functioning.
oh, but it was all HER fault! :mad:

[zazen]

13. I hear Armour (older type) is preferable to synthetic thyroid for some people

see the website <http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/>

[Manifestor_of_Light]

15. Armour Thyroid is better and cheaper.

Armour is natural and more bio-active. It contains both T3 and T4. I've taken it since I was diagnosed at age 11. I have to argue with my doctor to get ENOUGH, though. Doctors go by the TSH and don't treat symptoms, unfortunately.

Mary Shomon is an expert and runs the stopthethyroidmadness.com website.

She is also on about.com.

I've argued with several doctors about this issue. There are possibly 30 to 40 million Americans with undiagnosed or untreated thyroid disease.

[kdmorris]

17. Mary Shomon does NOT run stopthethyroidmadness.com

Why do you keep saying that? She runs the about.com thyroid site, but NOT stopthethyroidmadness.com.

This is, I believe, the 3rd time I've corrected you on this. Janie would probably be upset to find out that you keep contributing her site to Mary Shomon.

Give credit where credit is due.

[Locrian]

18. Armour

Armour does contain T4 and T3 - which is fine unless you have an issue with your body making REVERSE T3. T3 is created from T4 - and can also generate REVERSE T3. Which "fits" where T3 belongs but doesnt do anything.

So in that case, taking Armour (ie T3 AND T4) makes things WORSE, since it is converted to REVERSE T3. T4 BTW is not "used" but is the feedback signal that tells your body to stop. T3 is the actual "active" component that controls your temp etc.

When you test for Thyroid, make sure you test for T4, T3, and THRYROID antibodies which indicate presence of Reverse T3. In that case you would need compounded etc T3 only.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_T3