What is Hypothyroidism How does it impact weight?

Hypothyroidism happens when your thyroid doesn’t create and release enough thyroid hormone into
your body. This makes your metabolism slow down, affecting you entire body. Also known as
underactive thyroid disease, hypothyroidism is fairly common.

Thyroid hormones help control functions including how your heart beats and how your digestive system
works. Without the right amount of thyroid hormones, your body’s natural functions begin to slow
down.

Causes of hypothyroidism

Autoimmune disease. The most common cause of hypothyroidism is an autoimmune disorder known as
Hashimoto's thyroiditis. the body’s immune system attacks and damages the thyroid. This prevents the
thyroid from making and releasing enough thyroid hormone.

A secondary cause is something that causes the pituitary gland to fail the amount of thyroid hormones
in the bloodstream is controlled by the pituitary gland, which means it can’t send thyroid stimulating
hormone (TSH) to the thyroid to balance out the thyroid hormones.

Iodine deficiency (not having enough iodine — a mineral your thyroid uses to make hormones – in your
body).

Hereditary conditions (a medical condition passed down through your family).

How does hypothyroidism affect weight?

Anita claims to eat small amount of food and is yet gaining weight, this is because her metabolism has
reduced.

The main job of the thyroid is to control your metabolism. Metabolism is the process that your body
uses to transform food to energy your body uses to function. The thyroid creates the hormones T4 and
T3 to control your metabolism. These hormones work throughout the body to tell the body’s cells how
much energy to use. They control your body temperature and heart rate. When thyroid levels are low,
your metabolism slows down and you burn less energy, even when you’re resting. You are also less likely
to burn fat for energy, which can cause weight gain.

eating foods rich in iodine could help increase your hormone levels

Foods that are high in iodine include:

Eggs.

Dairy products.

Meat, poultry and seafood.

Edible seaweed.