Articles

Binge eating disorder or BED is a syndrome characterized by repeated occurrences of binge eating. It involves consumption of a large quantity of food and the feeling of loss of control over the behavior. Obese adults with binge eating disorder complain of lower quality of life in regards to work, sexual life, and self-esteem. Many adults with this disorder also have anxiety disorders, depression, and some with substance abuse. BED represents the most common eating disorder in our population, yet some insurance companies will not pay for treatments of this disorder. BED typically begins in the teenage years or adulthood...

Subclinical hypothyroidism, that I call low-grade hypothyroidism, effects a large percentage of the world population and is much more common in women than men and its most common cause is an immune system attack on the thyroid gland. I call it low-grade hypothyroidism instead of subclinical hypothyroidism because “subclinical hypothyroidism” means that this low thyroid condition has no bad clinical consequences, which is inaccurate. The term subclinical was introduced to the medical community in the 1960’s and has been used since. Since then, many research studies have shown that low-grade hypothyroidism effects cholesterol levels, contributes to cardiovascular disease, promotes weight...

The answer is maybe! Vitamin D deficiency is a common problem in the United States and the world. New evidence is emerging that avoiding vitamin D deficiency may contribute to a reduction of obesity as well. People with excess body fat are at an increased risk of many health issues including heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Serum vitamin D as well as calcium intake are inversely related to obesity, leading to the assumption that there is a link between the two. The two main reasons for this link are: 1) Obesity can lower vitamin D levels 2) Low vitamin...

One of the most perplexing questions about autoimmune thyroid disease addresses this frequency of disorders among women. Patients with autoimmune thyroid disease are five to ten times more likely to be female. At least one contributing condition is known as fetal microchimerism, which is caused by the passage of cells from a developing fetus into the mother’s body tissues. These cells can persist and even thrive in the mother’s body for decades after she gives birth. The mother’s immune system interprets these cells as invading microorganisms, sometimes triggering an autoimmune response in the process. This process is likely at least...