Could your thyroid gland  be making you gain weight?

The thyroid gland is a very important part of our body. Situated at the base of the front side of the neck, it regulates many bodily functions such as mood, weight and body temperature.

When people put on weight, the first culprit, which is true for most cases, is poor diet and lack of exercise.

But the thyroid gland can cause both weight gain and weight loss. This changes in weight are caused by either hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism.

As it turns out, putting on weight is one sign of hypothyroidism (hypo-meaning low).

WARNING SIGNS

The condition causes the body metabolism to slow down making it very difficult for one to loose weight even though they are working out very hard and strict on their diet.

On the other hand, hyperthyroidism (hyper-meaning high) means you have an over active thyroid gland which causes you to loose a lot of weight even though you are constantly eating.

Some of the other symptoms associated with hypothyroidism include feeling cold, fatigue, depression, memory loss and constipation.

Hyperthyroidism symptoms are weight loss, rapid heart rate, sleep trouble, anxiety, trembling, increased bowel movement and protruding eyes.

These symptoms can mimic symptoms of other diseases or medical conditions. So, the next time you find a person with shaky hands, do assume he/she is suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

However, we should not conclude that our weight problems are caused by the thyroid gland. The diagnosis has to be given by a medical doctor.