Think About Your Thyroid

My Weekly's favourite GP Dr Sarah Jarvis from TV and radio writes for you 

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New year is upon us and many of us are making New Year's resolutions, often relating to health-more exercise, shifting excess weight - but if your thyroid is underactive, both of those could be a challenge. On the other hand, if your thyroid is working overtime, you could be struggling to put weight on. For a tiny organ, your thyroid is in control of a lot of your body's functions.

It sits at the nape of your neck, about the size and shape of a bow tie and produces hormones - the main one is called thyroxine. Hormones are chemicals made in one part of your body which travel round your bloodstream to affect other parts of your body. For instance, hormones produced in your brain can affect kidneys, heart and more.

Thyroxine plays a major part in your metabolic rate - how fast your body's functions tick over when you're at rest. It affects the workings of many parts of your body including bowels, heart, skin and nervous system. The faster your metabolism, the more energy your body uses even at rest. So if your metabolism is overactive, you'll tend to lose weight; if it's underactive, you may gain weight despite eating the same, or less, than usual.