Does Thyroid cause weight gain? I have Thyroid – is that the reason I am losing weight? Does my weight gain have to do anything with my Thyroid? These questions get popped up all the time. But few have the right answers.

But whats the real relation between weight loss/gain and thyroid? Well, there’s a complex relationship beween thyroid, your weight and metabolism. If you don’t know, Oprah has gained 40 pounds and she blames it to her thyroid problem and this post was inspired by her.

Metabolism as defined by Wikipedia -

Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that occur in living organisms in order to maintain life.

The metabolism is regulated by the Thyroid gland. When Metabolism is measured at rest it is known as BMR which stands for Basal Metabolic Rate. It was once used as the primary indication of thyroid status for detecting overactive or underactive thyroid hormones but nowadays it isn’t used because it is complex and is easily influenced by other factors other than the thyroid.

Now there are 2 types of Thyroid

• Hyperthyroid
• Hypothyroid

For time being just keep this in mind -

HyperThyroid = Weight Loss

HypoThyroid = Weight Gain

HyperThyroid

HyperThyroid patients experience weight loss. HyperThyroid is overactive state in which the thyroid glands secret more hormones than they would in a normal course. In very simple terms, it consumes more calories which ultimately results into weight loss. The person suffering from HyperThyroid will maintain his or her weight if the amount of calories taken is equal to that consumed by hyperthyroid. Hyperthyroidism is said to increase hunger and some people may actually increase weight if their intake of calories is more than the consumption.

Why do I gain weight when hyperthyroidism is treated?

You also gain weight when HyperThyroidism is treated because now the hormones don’t consume more calories they they do in normal course of action. This leads to increase in the calories present inside the body and thus the weight is gained. So if you were thinking of taking thyroid medicines for weight loss then it wouldn’t be of much help!

HypoThyroid

HypoThyroid leads to weight gain. This is attributed to the low BMR. The intensity of the Hypothyroidism is directly proportional to the weight gain. In simple terms, the more intense Hypothyroid you have the more likely you’re to gain weight.

But the weight gained is not so significant which many people account it for. It is generally within 10 pounds in most of the cases.

As always you should always consult the doctor before coming to any conclusions or taking medicines.

Useful Articles on Thyroid:

• Thyroid and Weight[ Thyroid.org ]
• Weight Gain: Thyroid Gland to Blame? [ WebMD ]
• Fatigue, Weight Gain and Thyroid [ Thyroid.ca ]