The American Thyroid Association estimates that 20 million Americans have some kind of thyroid condition, but most people (around 60%) probably aren’t even aware they have a thyroid health problem. Because of the important role the thyroid gland plays in many aspects of our physiology, thyroid disorders and disease can be the source of numerous […]
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders in women who are old enough to get pregnant. Each year, it affects nearly five million women, and the rates have been rising over the past decade. Doctors have long understood that PCOS is linked with unexplained weight gain, though it is often […]
Your bathroom scale can be friend or foe. When the pounds are coming off, you’re likely to feel excited and motivated to continue with your weight loss efforts. However, noticing an increase of a few pounds can be upsetting and discouraging for many. Don’t fret—overnight bodyweight fluctuations are normal and are not necessarily an indicator […]
When weight loss becomes your mission, it’s easy to get fixated on statistics; how many pounds have I lost? What is my waist size? How many grams of protein were in that cheeseburger? It’s also a standard practice to track your weight regularly, and if you do, you probably notice some ups and downs from […]
For reasons that can only be speculated on, depression has been steadily increasing in the United States over the past few decades. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), approximately 21 million adults and four million adolescents were diagnosed with major depression or had at least one major depressive episode. To treat a major […]
If you track your weight regularly, you know how disconcerting it can be to look down at the scale and see a higher number than you were expecting. Indeed, unexplained weight gain can present a mystery that just has to be solved. Even after accounting for lifestyle factors like diet and exercise, many people wonder […]
Until the last few decades, weight lifting was associated primarily with male bodybuilders or professional athletes. Since then, there has been significant research into the benefits of lifting weights and building lean muscle. And even though it was once a male-dominated area of exercise, an increasing number of women have begun to add strength training […]
When you think of the human body, you think of solid material like bones, skin, and muscle. Surprisingly, though, the body is composed mostly of water. In fact, when we’re infants, our bodies are around 75% water; by the time we become adults, that equalizes out to around 50-60% water. And because of this high […]
Over the last few decades, ongoing research has helped doctors more fully understand the complex relationship between obesity and a number of negative health outcomes. One of the ways the international medical community has tried to clarify this link is by establishing the criteria for diagnosing metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by having several […]
