You're eating right and working out, yet your pants keep getting tighter. What's the deal? Could be your thyroid.
A sluggish thyroid -- even one that is just a tad slow -- can cause you to pack on the pounds. Read on to learn who's most at risk . . .
The Thyroid-Weight Connection
As much as 2% of the U.S. population may have an underactive thyroid -- called hypothyroidism. Women over 40 are at highest risk, but anyone can have it. And it matters, because your thyroid -- the tiny gland right below your Adam’s apple
(see how it looks) -- produces hormones that control your metabolism. Too-low levels slow down everything, so your body burns fewer calories.
(Use the symptom-checker in this article to see if your thyroid could be out of whack.)
Strategies for Getting Slim
If your thyroid tests fine, try these tips for battling the bulge or getting over a weight loss plateau:
What does your nutrition profile look like? Find out with this diet assessment.
RealAge Benefit: Maintaining your weight and body mass index at a desirable level can make your RealAge as much as 6 years younger.
Relations of thyroid function to body weight: cross-sectional and longitudinal observations in a community-based sample. Fox, C. S., Pencina, M. J., D'Agostino, R. B., Murabito, J. M., Seely, E. W., Pearce, E. N., Vasan, R. S.,
Archives of Internal Medicine 2008 Mar 24;168(6):587-592.
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