The thyroid is a gland located in the neck below the Adam's apple. It helps control the body's metabolic rate by producing the hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyroxine (T3).

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Thyroid hormones control your metabolism, which means they regulate the body's ability to break down food and to either use that energy or store it. These hormones can affect nearly every tissue and cell in the human body; they also tell your organs how quickly to work. Your thyroid must produce sufficient hormones in order for you to be in good health.

If the hormones T4 and T3 are lacking, the body's metabolic rate and organ functions slow down which can result in weight gain. A decrease in thyroid function results in a decrease in the consumption of energy and as a result more energy is available to be stored. Weight gain is, therefore, typical of an underactive thyroid.

Symptoms of an underactive thyroid include:
• weakness and/or fatigue
• forgetfulness
• recurrent constipation
• unintentional weight gain
• feeling cold
• infertility and miscarriage
• depression
• joint or muscle pain
• thin, brittle hair and pallid skin