Thyroid likely blameless for weight problem

Dear Dr. Gott: I recently saw a TV advertisement for a weight-loss pill. The advertiser said that low thyroid function can be caused by “yo-yo dieting” and that low thyroid function can make it impossible to lose weight. Three questions:

1. I’ve been fasting every Saturday on vegetable juices (I’ve got a good juicer), and I was wondering if my fasting could be considered a form of “yo-yo dieting.” I do tend to overeat a bit the following day.

2. More generally, can fasting lead to low thyroid function?

3. Finally, what could be done to enhance thyroid function besides taking this advertiser’s pill? Natural remedies are appreciated.

Dear Reader: Beware of weight-loss pills; they are usually ineffective for permanent weight loss and, at worst, can contain dangerous ingredients. Yo-yo dieting refers to a common practice of many overweight patients: fasting (or dieting) for several days or weeks, followed by binge eating (and the inescapable return of the lost weight).

Such a pattern is unhealthful as well as discouraging; it usually leads to the incorrect assumption that “I can’t lose weight no matter what I do.”

My no-flour, no-sugar diet is an inexpensive and simple program that will help overweight people lose weight and keep it off. I am sending you a free health report about this diet; a new book describing it in depth, with meal plans and recipes, will be published in the spring. Other readers who would like a copy of the No Flour, No Sugar Health Report should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.

Now, to answer your questions.

1. Your pattern is reasonable and is not yo-yo dieting, but you might respond more effectively to my diet.

2. To my knowledge, fasting will not lead to thyroid disorders. In addition, people – even if they are thyroid-deficient – do not become obese because of glandular problems. Except in the unusual patient with an inherited tendency toward obesity, most of us gain unwanted pounds because we consume too many calories and fail to exercise to burn them off.

In the majority of overweight people, thyroid deficiency is not a significant consideration but should be treated if present.

3. You do not need to “enhance” thyroid function unless your blood tests show a deficiency. In such a case, thyroid supplements are appropriate, not to control weight gain but to treat a serious illness that, if ignored, can have serious consequences, including anemia, slow metabolism and other health issues.