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Obesity is a serious problem among the young
BBC News

Being obese as a child may actually alter the shape of a gland important to growth and metabolism, Italian scientists have said.

Ultrasound tests on 186 children suggested their weight might be linked to structural changes in the thyroid.

Writing in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, the scientists said obesity may be causing thyroid disorders, not the reverse.

It is not yet clear whether losing weight could solve the problem.

The ultrasound findings are a bit mysterious, but do suggest the existence of a low-grade inflammation state Dr Giorgio Radetti Bolzano Regional Hospital Body Mass Index calculator

The thyroid is a gland found in the neck which releases hormones which control metabolic rate and child growth.

Scientists have focused on the role of thyroid hormones in child obesity, with some suggestions that a problem with the thyroid may be responsible for some cases of overweight children.

However, this remains controversial, and the research from the Regional Hospital of Bolzano in Italy is likely to add to the puzzle.

The changes in thyroid structure they found were similar to those found in a disease called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, a condition in which the body’s own immune system attacks the gland.

However, tests for antibodies which would confirm this problem drew a blank.

Weight loss

Instead, Dr Giorgio Radetti, leading the research, suggested that general inflammation caused by obesity could be responsible.

“The ultrasound findings are a bit mysterious, but do suggest the existence of a low-grade inflammation state, which has been known to characterise obesity.

“Our study shows that alterations in thyroid function and structure are common in obese children and we may have uncovered the link.

“We found an association between body mass index and thyroid hormone levels which suggests that fat excess may have a role in thyroid tissue modification.” Read more…