What Oprah Winfrey knows for sure

"My body was turning on me. First hyperthyroidism, which sped up my metabolism and left me unable to sleep for days. (Most people lose weight. I didn't.) Then hypothyroidism, which slowed down my metabolism and made me want to sleep all the time. (Most people gain weight. I did! Twenty pounds!) 

 
The thyroid, one of many body parts I'd never given a thought to, is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck, just below your Adam's apple. It influences everything from digestion to metabolism to reproduction.

When the thyroid is out of balance, so are you.
 
I craved balance. I was desperate to be somewhere in the middle of hyper and hypo—where, obviously, I'd been my whole life, taking it for granted because I didn't know any better. We
often need a malfunction to appreciate all the things that function.

I decided to give myself July. Yes, the whole month—dedicated to myself, for myself. To regroup. Rejuvenate. Restore my soul."

http://www2.oprah.com/...mag_200710_mission.jhtml

  

Getting my lifelong weight struggle under control has come from a process of treating myself as well as I treat others in every way.
   
    Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine, August 2004

For years, a “thyroid” condition was widely viewed as a euphemism for being fat. But now, the ultimate celebrity endorsement from Oprah Winfrey may finally give thyroid problems the respect they deserve.
 
Earlier this week, Oprah spoke on her talk show about a recent bout with exhaustion and weight gain that was diagnosed as thyroid disease, an issue she also wrote about in her magazine.

Thyroid disorders, which are far more common in women than men, are said to be among the most undiagnosed and misdiagnosed health problems. Part of the problem is that the symptoms are ambiguous and likely to be written off as stress, menopause or normal aging. The most common thyroid problem is caused by an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), and symptoms include weight gain, fatigue, depression, high cholesterol, neck pain, hair loss, low sex drive and worsening menstrual symptoms. An overactive thyroid, or hyperthyroidism, can also cause neck pain, hair loss and menstrual and sex-drive problems, as well as insomnia, unexpected weight loss, chronic diarrhea, anxiety and panic attacks, heart palpitations, high blood pressure and bulging eyes.
 
The thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, has gotten celebrity attention in the past. Former president George Bush and his wife Barbara both suffered from thyroid problems, as did Olympic track stars Gail Devers and Carl Lewis. But the reality is that nothing compares to Oprah in terms of raising public awareness about anything, whether it’s a favorite book, a politician or a disease.