India, Oct. 16 -- People often blame weight gain on the thyroid, sometimes even before thyroid tests. On the other hand, unexplained weight loss may be attributed to stress, diet, or a busy lifestyle when an overactive thyroid could actually be contributing. So, when should a change in your weight on the weighing scale make you think about your thyroid?

Still, its hormones strongly influence how the body uses energy. Thyroid hormones help regulate metabolism, heart rate, body temperature, and several other physiological processes. When the thyroid produces too little hormone, hypothyroidism slows metabolism.

"Importantly, some of this additional weight may be due to water retention rather than increased body fat alone," Dr Seema Daksh, ...