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There are four prominent endocrine and metabolic disorders that not only contribute to obesity, but also make weight loss difficult. These conditions – “bad metabolism,” hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid, and “adrenal fatigue” – are frequently misdiagnosed by doctors, or incorrectly self-diagnosed by patients. As a result, healthy people may think that they have them, while truly affected – may miss them. Both groups suffer needlessly. Let’s review some of the long-held misconceptions about this paradox.
The first misconception is about “bad metabolism,” and it is the most common, approaching a near 100% popularity. Medically and nutritionally speaking, it is a complete opposite. What you may think is “bad” is, actually, “good,” and here is why.
Bad Metabolism
The truly “bad” metabolic disorders concern water balance and fluid volume; the balance of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphate); acid-base regulation; disorders of carbohydrate metabolism, such as hypoglycemia, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, diabetic and alcoholic ketoacidosis; and lipid disorders, such as dyslipidemia and hypolipidemia [1].
These conditions affect people of all ages, genders, and body weights. Some of them are outright deadly, while others – such as diabetes or dyslipidemia – are chronic. Within the same group of conditions, some are associated with obesity, such as prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Others, such as type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis, result in profound and life-threatening weight loss.
Consequently, any time you mention “bad metabolism” in relationship to your weight, your doctor will know exactly what you mean, but may still chuckle at your misinterpretation. And if you continue insisting that you may have it, he or she may also tell you that when it comes to body weight, a true “bad metabolism” is a sign of impending death, and that a precipitous weight loss, not gain, is one of its primary symptoms.
The emaciated gentleman on the left is Steve Jobs of Apple fame, shortly before his premature and unfortunate death. Take a hard look at this heartbreaking picture. That is what an actual “bad metabolism” – meaning the body’s inability to properly metabolize nutrients essential for life – really looks like.
Not so long ago, the dominant thinking and attitudes toward metabolism was a complete opposite. When my mother met my dad, a tall and handsome man with manners to match, she was short and moderately overweight, with big hips and large breasts, an ideal body shape for the 1950s. Single men would look at her thinking: “Gosh, this lady is so attractive! I want her to become my wife and the mother of my children.”
Today’s young men, conditioned by the Victoria Secrets’ standards, are more likely to pass over someone like my mother in favor of a waifish girl like Calista Flockhart (32A-23-30), who just three generations ago would have had a hard time finding a marriage partner because of prejudices typical for that era:
- Her appearance would reflect probable malnutrition or chronic illness throughout early development. In that rough era of near-zero upward mobility, malnourished children came predominantly from impoverished households, and no man or woman wanted to marry into a poor family.
- Before the near universal availability of on-demand C-section, her narrow hips would be considered life-threatening during natural childbirth.
- Her small breasts would be assumed inadequate for motherhood because she might have difficulties breastfeeding her numerous offspring. This isn’t, really, entirely correct, but that’s, unfortunately, how it was and still is in undeveloped societies.
- Back then, her small body would be deemed too weak to chop wood, milk cows, carry buckets of water, and cook, clean, and wash from dawn to dusk for the entire family.
- Personality-wise, a person of her shape would be considered a “cold fish” because underweight women have lower levels of estrogen and are believed to be not as libidinous as normal weight or, even better, overweight women. I don’t know if that is true, but that’s how it was.
All of that primitive, misogynistic, and mostly unconscious thinking – to find a partner who will last you and your children through thick and thin – was, essentially, a basic “animal” instinct in action, honed over hundreds of thousands of years of pragmatic and merciless natural selection.
Naturally, that’s exactly what my father did without giving it a second thought – he married a woman with a good metabolism. He knew instinctively what my mom’s doctor told her after every check-up: “Polina, you have a fantastic metabolism!” For her generation it was an asset, not a curse. (The photographs of my parents on the right are from 1958, four years after my birth. They are, respectively, 43 and 37 years old).
True to form, my mother had an accidental pregnancy at the age of 45, while the usual rate of conception after age 40 is less than 5%. And that is after surviving the horrors of starvation and backbreaking labor during the four years of World War II as well as the devastation of postwar Russia.
Calista Flockhart, on the other hand, finally married actor Harrison Ford at the age of 46. In all probability, natural selection wasn’t on the mind of Mr. Ford, who at the time of their marriage in 2010 was already 68 years old. The couple is raising her adopted son Liam, who was born in 2001. Any way you look at it, the laws of evolution remain as tough today as they have ever been, even to someone as beautiful, talented, and famous as Ms. Flockhart.
So, if you too are endowed with a good metabolism just like my mother was, the problem isn’t with you, your genes, or your body, but with the times we are living – the sum of abundant food, minimal physical exertion, and all conceivable creature comforts is behind obesity epidemics on one hand, while the incorrect believe into “bad metabolism” causes many people to drop their weight loss diets too soon, or discourages them from considering one in the first place.
THE TAKEAWAY: Since it’s too late to get another set of genes, or become a lumberjack, or give up comforts, concentrate on the two factors that are still under your total control – what you eat and how your “burn” it! In fact, your “good metabolism” will work in your favor – the better it is, the faster you are going to lose weight.
Hypothyroidism and underactive thyroid
The situation with thyroid-related disorders is a lot more complicated than with bad metabolism. A true “underactive thyroid” – a vernacular for subclinical hypothyroidism – affects up to 10% of women and 6% of men, many of them over 65 years of age. The rate of clinical hypothyroidism is under 1.2% of women and 0.4% of men [2] predominantly among older adults, 33.3% of adult Americans are overweight and 35.9% are clinically obese, or 69.2% .
As you can see, the number of overweight people is significantly greater than the number of people affected by subclinical or clinical hypothyroidism [3], even though many people who are affected by adiposity – a shorthand for “overweight or obese” – believe they may have this condition because of weight loss resistance or weight gain on a moderate diet.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, there are people who are misdiagnosed and untreated because both conditions are challenging to manage even to specialists. According to The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, the early stages of this condition are associated with the following symptoms:
“…cold intolerance, constipation, forgetfulness, and personality changes. Modest weight gain is largely the result of fluid retention and decreased metabolism. Paresthesias [tingling – KM] of the hands and feet are common, often due to carpal-tarsal tunnel syndrome…[4]”
Please also note one significant detail in the above quote: “Modest weight gain is largely the result of fluid retention…” This explains why some people who are affected by this condition can’t lose weight even on a very low calorie diet – most of that extra weight comes at the expense of water, not body fat.
Women with hypothyroidism may also be affected by menorrhagia – an abnormally heavy bleeding during menstruation, or amenorrhea – an abnormal absence of menstruation. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, get evaluated by a board certified endocrinologist.
Because clinical hypothyroidism isn’t as common as some other disease, non-specialists may not be able to properly diagnose and treat you, especially during the earlier stages while the symptoms are still subtle, and the tests aren’t as definitive. If your diagnosis or treatment outcomes are not satisfactory, you may also consider working with alternative providers.
Things get even more complicated with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. It is an autoimmune inflammatory condition of the thyroid. In addition to the transient symptoms of hypothyroidism during early stages, it is distinguished by painless enlargement of the thyroid gland, and, in some cases, a feeling of fullness in the throat. It may or may not be associated with adiposity.
The prevalence of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis ranges from 0.1 to 0.15% of the population (1 to 1.5 cases per 1,000 people), and it affects women 10 to 20 times more often than men. It is most common between the ages of 45 to 65, and it often runs in families (i.e. it has a genetic component).
The same immune mechanisms which cause Hashimoto’s thyroiditis may also cause Graves’ disease (thyroid enlargement, goiter), Addison’s disease, type 1 diabetes, celiac disease (an autoimmune inflammation in the small intestine), vitiligo (skin depigmentation), premature graying of hair (same mechanism as in vitiligo), pernicious anemia, and connective tissue disorders.
If you suspect that you may have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, GET TESTED. The level of thyroid hormones T4 and TSH may remain normal during early stages, making its diagnosis difficult in non-specialized clinical settings. Seek out a specialist trained in diagnosing and treating this relatively rare condition. 1 case in 1,000 is, indeed, rare for an internist who treats on average 2,000-3,000 patients a year, and may not encounter a single patient with Hashimoto’s in years.
I do not recommend commencing any type of weight loss diet until you are properly diagnosed and treated for hypothyroidism. A reduced calorie diet may deny your body from getting essential nutrients, and may exacerbate the progression of the disease. Besides, it isn’t likely to be effective anyway because of fluid retention.
As clinical hypothyroidism progresses, the symptoms become more severe and obvious, including precipitous weight loss. You can learn more about other manifestations of clinical hypothyroidism in countless online resources.
THE TAKEAWAY: Do not rely on outdated misconceptions about clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism. If you are experiencing any symptoms related to either condition, seek out the best treatment money can buy. Continuous weight gain in healthy people isn’t always a symptom of hypothyroidism. As epidemiological statistic – however flawed it may be – demonstrates, the majority of people with adiposity are not affected by hypothyroidism. If you are in this fortunate majority, you earlier failures to lose weight weren’t related to bad health, but to bad diets.
Adrenal fatigue
What you may think is “adrenal fatigue” endocrinologists call primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency. Both conditions are ascertained by a blood test, and treated, when necessary, with appropriate medication.
Primary adrenal insufficiency – also known as Addison’s disease – is a hard to miss condition because it is accompanied by severe skin pigmentation. Its prevalence – a medical term for the number of affected people – is less than 1 person in 14,000 (<0.007%) in population [5]. Just like truly “bad metabolism,” it causes weight loss, not gain:
“The slowly progressive loss of cortisol and aldosterone secretion usually produces a chronic, steadily worsening fatigue, a loss of appetite, and some weight loss. Blood pressure is low and falls further when a person is standing, producing lightheadedness. Nausea, sometimes with vomiting, and diarrhea are common. The muscles are weak and often go into spasm. [6]”
If you have any of the above symptoms, get tested immediately. This debilitating condition can be well controlled with medication.
The prevalence of secondary adrenal insufficiency is less than 1 person in 3,600, or 0.027% of the population. The symptoms of this condition are similar to Addison’s disease, but without pigmentation. Again, a blood test is required to screen it out and receive an appropriate and effective treatment.
A popular opinion exists that this condition may be substantially underdiagnosed. It may very well be correct, so let’s assume that there are 100 times more people affected by secondary adrenal insufficiency than what epidemiologists are telling us. Alas, it still comes to only 2.7%, a drop in the bucket next to 69.2% of the population with adiposity.
THE TAKEAWAY: Just as with “bad metabolism” and hypothyroidism, don’t rely on outdated misconceptions about “adrenal fatigue” and its relations to weight loss or gain. Seek out expert help to screen out primary and secondary adrenal insufficiency, and, if necessary, obtain adequate treatment.
References
[1] Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders; The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, online edition; Last accessed March 30, 2013; [link]
[2] Vanderpump, Mark P.J., “The epidemiology of thyroid disease.” (2011) : 39-51. [link]
[3] This calculation is based on the following numbers: percent of adults age 20 years and over who are obese: 35.9% (2009-2010); percent of adults age 20 years and over who are overweight (and not obese): 33.3% (2009-2010). Source: Department of Health and Human Services, Health, United States, 2011, by Kathleen Sebelius, et. al., 2011, [link to PDF]
[4] Hypothyroidism; Symptoms and Signs; The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, online edition; Last accessed March 30, 2013; [link]
[5] Division of Medical Sciences, University of Birmingham, and Department of Medicine, Endocrine and Diabetes University of Wurzburg, “Adrenal Insufficiency,” Lancet, 361 (2003): 1881-93; [link to PDF]
[6] Margulies, Paul, MD; National Adrenal Diseases Foundation; Addison’s Disease – The Facts You Need To Know; “What are the symptoms of Addison’s Disease?” Last accessed March 30, 2013; [link]
Previous posts from the “Why Diets Fail?” series:
1. The Real Reason Diets Fail and What You Can Do About It
2. How Long Will It Take Me to Lose the Weight?
3. Why One Calorie For Her Is Half a Calorie For Him
For your health and safety, please read these important Weight Loss Common Sense Warnings and Disclaimers before commencing a reduced calorie diet.
Well, you have done a great job keeping up a good attitude in the face of so many angry overweight people!! :). As the day wore on I thought about your post more, and I think a good question would be, “If your thyroid is causing your weight gain, then why are you still fat??” My Grandma was around 250 pounds and found out she had thyriod problems. She dropped over 120 pounds. That is true thyroid problems. I think everyone gets so cranky because we have this “thyriod/fatigue” problem from Leaky Gut. Only Leaky Gut requires a TON of work to fix, and it’s “easier” to say it’s Thyriod/fatigue rather than change our habits. How many people who have complained have drank the 3+ cups of Bone Broth a day and still had these problems? Also, I have been dissapointed in those who complain so loudly, and the lazyness in finding facts to prove you wrong. I was looking for some one intelligent to rebuttle you. Since that has yet to happen, and I have no proof you are wrong….. I guess that makes you still right. 🙂
Sarah,
Thank you for noting that. My job is to help, not to fight. This is an emotional issue, and I understand people who are so frustrated by being misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or ignored. When this reaches a boiling point, things happen. I find this discussion very helpful, and updated my post accordingly. That is, incidentally, why I have decided to write a book in this very public manner — I crave for feedback of all kinds. Thank you to all!
This blog has some easily offended readers! They act like you’re trying to UNdiagnose them! LOL! Reading the comments has been quite entertaining. This is my summary of what they’re saying:
“How DARE you say that some people don’t actually have ____ (bad thyroid/adrenals/metabolism). I, and others that I know, DO have ____. Since you are not an expert on diagnosing and treating ____, then you shouldn’t be allowed to even mention that some people do NOT have ____.”
As somebody who does not have any of these disorders, should I be offended that you also said that some people DO have them??
Trudy,
It wasn’t my intent to offend anyone. And don’t be too tough on people with a different point of view. The disorders that polarized people so much are very hard on the body and mind, I understand their frustration with a “system,” and don’t mind being a lightening rod for as long as this discourse is civilized. And it mostly was.
Konstantin, firstly congratulations on speaking what most know is the truth. Many are all too happy to find something else to blame their obesity on rather than look at facts. Yes, being hypothyroid can lead to increased hunger, think bear ready for wintering, however if you are aware of this you learn to curb it rather than blame it.
Secondly, I must disagree in part. In the USA thyroid blood testing reference ranges are narrow, here in Australia they are very wide. Too wide.Which leads to many who have real thyroid issues walking away feeling confused. Their bodies are saying one thing but the magic numbers say another. Only one pathology here uses the US range. I was just outside that range and was told I was normal for many many years (even after saying that true thyroid problems run in my family and many are on medication for it). Many years of struggling to have doctor’s believe my issues were thyroid related came too late, I lost my thyroid due to severe Hashimoto’s. Had I not insisted to use the ‘other’ pathology for once I would be dead now. ( I also had a thyroid cancer but was told I was suffering from anxiety)
Now that issue of lab testing is still a biggie here. Many are underdiagnosed with both hyper and hypothyroid. BUT!!! It still does not account for those who have been proven to be not hypo who still are overweight and still tell me ‘Oh, my doctor doesn’t understand about thyroid’ Well, I DO, and I look at their pathology results and shake my head. Nope you are TSH 1.5 or what ever not even close. FT3 is all good and so’s your FT4! What’s that you say? Starving? It’s not even lunchtime and you want to go to get coffee and cake coz you quote ‘deserve it after such a long morning shopping’ unquote.
Now I used to be one of those who believed the garbage touted out but now use logic and learned about the human body. I shudder every time I see certain information on dodgy sites touting adrenal fatigue. The Stop the Thyroid Madness book is supportive in some areas but downright dangerous in others. I pushed doctors when I first read this book, believing how wrong they were, now I was to be humbled when meeting the most eminent scientist (who has also done double blind studies and research into thyroid and all it entails) here who patiently explained how and why the adding of T3 for some people leads to a lovely adjustment for a while i.e. weeks or months, then they will crash and feel lousy and never tell anyone they had to stop, due to the embarrassment of finding they were wrong. Some even ending up in the ERwith disasterous effects. Very few people truly need that supplementation of T3. I thought I was right, I was wrong.
Thirdly, Addison’s disease does not always present with the tan, and can be shown to be true by reading medical journals. Many of the A.D. patients have severe illness without the telltale ‘tan’. So it is an unreliable ‘test’ to prove an illness.
Fourthly, with the advent of the internet many people have now become armchair doctors. Whilst self educating is a good thing, total denial is not. I urge those who say they are hypo and can’t lose weight to be honest and keep a food journal for a week. You will be surprised at how many hidden calories are in certain things you eat. A calorie is a calorie. Expenditure needs to equal input. You over eat and not move, then the calorie stays. Simple pure facts. Yes, being hypo/Hashi makes you feel hungrier and yes it is difficult to not eat. I, too, was one of those people who believed I was overweight due to being undiagnosed hypo (well, I was undiagnosed, but the truth was I was eating more than my fair share of food at the time!) I have no place for those who wish to jump up and down and blame a disease for their woes. If people truly believe they have a problem -GET TESTED! Get the food allergy testing done, don’t just ASSUME you have one. You may be missing out on nutrition and vitamins which can upset the thyroid. Get the thyroid testing done, don’t assume you have a thyroid problem. Be honest with yourself! Facts are what matters!
Again, congratulations on speaking out. I do not want to use my real name as I am sure I will be inundated with people telling me I am wrong or a traitor. My thyroid/adrenal levels don’t need that stress right now. (wink wink)
Thank you for making your points so eloquently. I hope they will help other people affected by clinical hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.
I strongly beg to differ. And no, I’m not making excuses for being obese. I am not and have never been. There are many far reaching symptoms of thyroid disease. Please read Hypothyroidism Type 2: The Epidemic. 50 years ago when we listened to our bodies Hypothyroidism was treated based on symptoms, not blood tests, which are widely known to be inaccurate in measuring Hypothyroidism. Especially, in Type 2 where you may see normal levels, but your body is producing it in a form it can not use.
Now doctors are so fixated on blood tests they are taking people who were healthy and functioning well on thyroid medication off because of these useless blood tests and watching them fall apart piece by piece. My sister was losing all of her hair, couldn’t lift her limbs after she exercised, was steadily gaining weight on a calorie deficit and couldn’t get enough sleep. And don’t tell me she didn’t know what she was eating or wasn’t working out enough. She is a fitness instructor teaching eight hours a week, burning an average of 500 calories/class and eating 1,200 calories a day until she found Dr. Starr who turned her life around.
I have secondary adrenal insufficiency from years of steroids used to treat Lupus. There are many other factors in our modern lifestyle, diet and environment that also overwork our adrenal glands. I WAS diagnosed by saliva testing. I don’t know how you can claim to do it by blood test since your cortisol levels are designed to ebb and flow with your circadian rhythm. Do you test at 2 hour intervals for 24 hours? And in consulting with my Rheumatologist he explained to me that yes, they know this is a byproduct of these treatments and no, there is no traditional medical treatment. He advised me to try natural alternatives.
And don’t get me started on what “normal” levels are. A range of .5-4.5 makes no sense. The reference ranges for all blood tests are determined by taking a sampling of the population. Can you really tell me a sampling of the American population right now will give you a good idea of a healthy level on anything. A full decade ago the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, that doctors “consider treatment for patients who test outside the boundaries of a narrower margin based on a target TSH level of 0.3 to 3.0.” Studies have found that using this new range they believe a full 20% of Americans would be diagnosed as Hypothyroid.
Janae,
Even with your numbers (i.e. 20% of Americans are affected by thyroid disorders), there are 80% who aren’t. My article is intended for this 80%. For the rest I recommend to find the best specialist they can first, get TESTED second, and get TREATED third. If that’s, somehow, unreasonable position, please offer something more reasonable.
My experience is similar to many others’ on this site. For years, I suffered from debilitating fatigue, to have doctor after doctor tell me my thyroid was”fine.” Eating a WAP/GAPS diet helped me somewhat, but Armour Thyroid was a LIFESAVER!! I would not want to live without it. I highly recommend the book, “Stop the Thyroid Madness.” If you are tired, find a doctor who knows about Hashimoto’s.
Sandy,
Thank you for extending good advice to people who are affected by Hashimoto’s. This is exactly the point of my post — get tested, get treated, — except I am not familiar with this topic as well as someone who has been affected by this malaise, and can’t render medical advice because I am not a medical doctor.
As a hashi hypo sufferer, I know there are much more to it than you said. THS, FT4 and FT3 have to be in optimal ranges, not just in range to make sure you have normal metabolism. In addition, even on T4 replacement, some patients have T4 to T3 conversion issues. T3 is the active hormone your body needs to function. There are also low/high cortisol, low iron, etc many issues which stop hormone replacement to work properly. Hypo is not as simple as you thought. That said, as a very severe and complex (all my endos said that) hypo case, I still maintain normal weight. It is doable, just very very difficult.
Jessy, sorry I don’t have any relevant thoughts on this subject. My article is about completely different one: The prevalence of hypothyroidism, underactive thyiroid, “bad metabolism,” and adrenal insufficiency in overweight population. That’s all about epidemiology, not about diagnostics, treatments, symptoms, etc., etc., etc.
And throughout the article, I said as firmly as I could at least four times: “If you suspect having any of these conditions, get tested, and get treated.”
And your own account beautifully illustrates my point: you can maintain normal weight even with these unpleasant conditions. I couldn’t say it better: “It is doable, just very very difficult.”
Thank you!
First, let’s get the facts straight. The author of this blog studied pharmacy and was in computers/IT. He is NOT a medical doctor. But what shocks me is that he says he is “not familiar with natural desiccated thyroid medication (NDT). As a pharmacist, in addition to the Synthroid that is the most recognized (and most ineffective) thyroid hormone medication, NDT is also a pharmaceutical medication, approved by the FDA, and prescribed and dispensed at pharmacies around the country. And yet, this pharmacist doesn’t know anything about it?
As a public health communicator and medical writer who also serves as a patient advocate for hundreds of misdiagnosed and/or under treated thyroid patients, this article is appalling. It is clear that the author has no personal knowledge or patient knowledge of thyroid and adrenal conditions, but only has read books and pulled information from otherwise uninformed or outdated sources.
Sadly, a large number of patients continue to suffer from thyroid and adrenal disorders without diagnosis or treatment, and many become severely disabled. The author appears to be incredibly arrogant, not only in his article, but also in the way he responds to the comments. In one example, he writes “Thirdly, you contradict yourself – on one hand women don’t get enough attention, on another – L-thyroxine is one of the most prescribed drugs in the US. So what is what?” … but interestingly enough, the commenter never mentioned that “women don’t get enough attention.” Is this a freudian slip revealing the author’s bias toward women?
Sarah, it’s sad that this article does such an incredible disservice to your readers by promoting a long outdated way of thinking about thyroid and adrenal disorders. Even the image used at the top is insulting. There are so many good doctors out there who are known for their innovative treatment of thyroid and adrenal disorders, weight issues, metabolic problems, etc, that you have so many better options than an author such as this one. Because most readers will assume that posts on your website are indicative of your own beliefs, you have turned away many people who might have become readers, and you have likely alienated a large number of existing readers.
Even worse, you are allowing this person to promote their book using your blog, with a promise of 40 more posts to come in ramp up for his book launch. What a travesty, and what a sad shame. If you want to preserve your reputation and your readership, you might want to consider letting this author pay for publicity rather than using your site as a platform.
If this site truly is about healthy nutrition for healthy people who would like to remain that way (as the author says), then why even post an insulting, demeaning, uninformed, dangerous article such as this on your site? Perhaps it’s better to leave the true health-related issues to people who know what they’re talking about. With articles like this, you are perpetuating a dangerous cycle of misinformation and lack of proper care for patients who suffer from these disorders.
Holly,
I don’t know anything about the application of “desiccated thyroid medication” because (a) I don’t work with patients; (b) I don’t practice medicine; (c) I don’t dispense drugs, and (d) this isn’t my specialty.
I also don’t know anything about plumbing, but that doesn’t stop me from writing about the disorders of the large bowel, and what comes out of it.
I will repeat yet again as loud and as clear as I can: I do not know anything about any of the medical conditions that are addressed in my post outside of what I can read in medical references for the following reasons: (a) I don’t work with patients; (b) I don’t practice medicine; (c) I don’t dispense drugs, and (d) this isn’t my specialty.
And my post wasn’t about these conditions but about their prevalence in overweight population. All of the information in my post is duly references and believed to be reliable. If you have better one, you have the same page to publish it as I have.
I am publishing my entire book for free on this site. In what way this is a “promotion.” To the contrary, it is a valuable service to people like you who will not buy it because they know what to expect.
Insulting, demeaning, uninformed, misinformation, dangerous? Please…
As a woman who was diagnosed hypothyroid based on a TSH test in my twenties, I find your description of hypothyroid symptoms and the ease of diagnosis and treatment misleading.
The usual symptoms for hypothyroidism is *tiredness*, cold intolerance, neck sensitivity, goiter, moodiness, bad PMS, outer eyebrows thinning, low libido, infertility and others.
You entirely skipped the fact that 5-10% of women have thyroiditis postpartum and thyroid issues run in families with other auto-immune conditions.
A big problem people have getting diagnosed is that most doctors & labs still use the old range. So, if your TSH is around 5, they say you’re fine. But the AACE recommended many years ago that the normal range be changed to 0.3 to 3. And the TSH test won’t tell you how much free T3 and T4 you have available.
When I saw an endocrinologist 5 years after my diagnosis, she said I was incorrectly diagnosed as hypothyroid because my initial TSH of 7 wasn’t high enough and I didn’t have a family history of hypothyroid… she usually sees TSH of 300+. So, I switched endos and requested a thyroid anti-bodies test and what do you know? it confirmed Hashimoto’s. I am so thankful to that initial GP who listened to my symptoms (I had no clue it was a thyroid issue) and caught my condition early. Since then my aunt has also been diagnosed.
As for the ease of treatment… You’re probably noticing a lot of angry hypothyroid patients here. We continue to have lingering symptoms that healthy eating and synthetic T4 doesn’t fix and doctors say everything is fine based on one test result number.
Dena,
Yes, I did notice a lot of angry “patients” here… It is quite regretful because my article has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with a treatment and diagnostic of hypothyroidism, or tiredness, or postpartum thyroiditis. I will though, update my article to indicate that some people are having a very hard time to get a proper treatment. Thank you for pointing this out.
Yes we are upset because now our labs show we are “normal” and so we should be fine, yet we often are still sick and dealing with hypo symptoms!!!! So that weight that won’t come of, or the lack of motivation, can’t be hypo problems anymore since we are supposedly optimal- instead it is just character flaws, like laziness and gluttony. That hurts. So to read an article that talks about similar issues- being overweight with normal thyroid function, well, it sure sounds like you are speaking to us! And it is a touch subject. But the nastiness on this makes me sick. I mean, really, calling you deaf, dumb, and blind, or needing mental help? I’m ashamed of us!
Heidi, thank you. What I am getting out of this discussion is this: most medical doctors have zero to no experience with complex cases involving thyroid-related disorders, and that the stand-by diagnostic protocols are too simplistic in their approach. Hopefully, this discussion will help a lot of people to find specialists who are more thorough and up-to-date, and I already made that accent in my assay.
Yes, it is unfortunate that some people resort to insults instead of being helpful and constructive. Fortunately, the number of helpful comments exceeds the number of nasty ones, and we all learn from the experience. Thank you again, Heidi.
You still have not addressed that you incorrectly labeled Steve Jobs, “bad metabolism”!
The man had undergone a “Whipple procedure” and suffered from neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer.
You are seriously misleading your readers with your information regarding “bad metabolism”.
We don’t know what Steve Jobs was suffering from at a time of his death. Neither his treatment history nor autopsy were disclosed. You can read my take on the causes of his death in another response.
Your “information” on hypothyroidism is so outdated it’s dangerous. Your knowledge about secondary adrenal fatigue is almost as scary (it does indeed cause weight gain, unlike primary addison’s which can cause rapid weight loss). . I was reading this article out of curiosity..now I am horrified.
Both of these diseases are far more prevalent and affect a far greater demographic than you poorly researched article represents. I wonder how many people will have to go through another round of feeling like failures before they find help with the right medications and diganostic studies.
This article does nothing to promote help for the rising legion of us that spent years misdiagnosed because of lack of updated research and information. Visit any support site for hashimoto’s or addison’s and you will quickly realize the references you cite are the same tired and ineffective treatment guidelines that are killing people (mostly women) and keeping them sick, undiagnosed, and incapable of achieving health. Shame.
You are speaking in generalities. Please show the data to support your assertions or debase mine.
Please don’t refer me to commercial sites that sell alternative diagnostic kits or supplements to correct thyroid and adrenal deficiencies. They represent their particular point of view because it suits their business objectives. I don’t sell or promote anything and have zero benefits from standing behind my articles.
My article didn’t suggested anywhere that “adrenal fatigue” causes (or doesn’t cause) weight gain. My article made a strong recommendation to GET TESTED for people who suspect they may have these condition.
I cite data from the sources that are available to me. I have no reasons not to believe these sources until someone will produce better sources.