Two new campaigns have been launched to mark January 2009's Thyroid Awareness Month. With an estimated 60 million Americans suffering from thyroid disease, and the majority not yet even diagnosed, increasing the awareness of thyroid problems has never been more important. In the past year, even Oprah Winfrey revealed that even she had to see four doctors and gain 40 pounds before finally getting her own thyroid diagnosis.

To help promote awareness of thyroid disease, I've put put together the Check Your Neck, Change Your Life Thyroid Awareness Month 2009 campaign. The Check Your Neck, Change Your Life Campaign includes a free e-book guide to thyroid symptoms, disorders, and treatments. Get information on the Check Your Neck, Change Your Life campaign and the free ebook.

For their efforts this January, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) have recruited model Kim Alexis, who was diagnosed with hypothyroidism several years ago. Alexis is featured in a new video public service announcement (PSA) produced by AACE. You can view the thyroid PSA on Youtube.

They've also put together some of their web-based reference information, added an interview with Alexis, and put it together in a magazine they call Power of Prevention, the Magazine. You can download a free copy of the Thyroid Awareness Month edition of the magazine , in PDF format.

More Power of Prevention information is available at their website, www.powerofprevention.com.

_{Check Your Neck logo image: Mary Shomon / Video PSA image, magazine cover: AACE}

The reality is, some of us can practically stop eating, and exercise around the clock, and we still don't lose weight. If you complain to your doctor, you'll probably be told you're lazy, you need more willpower, or it's just age.

What they're not telling you, however, is that you might have a thyroid problem -- a dysfunction in the small, butterfly-shaped gland in your neck that is crucial to your metabolism.

Undiagnosed and untreated thyroid problems, especially an underactive thyroid condition known as hypothyroidism, can cause weight gain, or make weight loss difficult or impossible. If you are having weight problems that don't respond to diet and exercise, take this checklist of risks, signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism to your doctor to aid in getting proper thyroid testing, diagnosis and treatment.

_{Photo: clipart.com}

Now, at her website, there is a special page to clarify Oprah's thyroid issue, and whether Oprah's thyroid problem was actually cured. It says at Oprah.com:

When Oprah announced last Monday that her thyroid problem was cured, it sent many viewers buzzing on the message boards. Is it even possible to cure thyroid disease? And how did she do it? Oprah is now clearing the air. "Here's the bottom line," she says. "When I said I was cured, I meant I don't have the thyroid problem anymore because my thyroid levels are all in the normal range now and my doctors have taken me off of any thyroid medication." However, Oprah says she still has her levels frequently checked to monitor her thyroid gland.

Well, just to be clear, your thyroid problems aren't the usual thyroid problems. And by that I mean although the ailment itself is common, there's two issues that can happen with your thyroid. It can underperform—that's hypothyroidism—or it can overperform—hyperthyroidism. But your issue, Oprah, and you're so unique, is you were having a frat party in your thyroid. You were having a bunch of different things happening at once. And so you have these two ailments: One was stimulating the thyroid with antibodies; the other one was actually waging war on the thyroid. And so when those two level out, they actually can bring you into a place of peace—which, interestingly, is where you are right now.

Oprah herself has said that she had a period of where her thyroid was overactive (hyperthyroidism), followed by underactive (hypothyroidism). And Dr. Oz' description of the antibodies suggests that Oprah might have had Hashitoxicosis, a condition where you have antibodies suggestive of both Hashimoto's and Graves' disease-- and these antibodies are stimulating the thyroid to produce excess hormone, and at the same time, attacking the thyroid and attempting to destroy it.

Dr. Oz suggests that the antibodies have "leveled out," and that she's now in a "place of peace." And Oprah herself says her "thyroid levels are all in the normal range now and my doctors have taken me off of any thyroid medication."

What do I think is going on? I suspect Oprah is in a situation that millions of women face every year. She's overweight, tired, puffy-faced, and perimenopausal, but she's now being told that her thyroid levels are "normal." She's turned into a lab value -- and she may be inadvertently damaging her health, and sabotaging her weight loss efforts by remaining uninformed about thyroid disease, failing to ask the right questions, and failing to consult with experts and practitioners who actually understand thyroid disease.

So Oprah, if you or any other woman in this situation asked me what to do, here's what I would suggest. Read more...

Missed the live show? The thyroid show podcast is available to listen to online anytime, or you can get it via Itunes.

_{(Podcast will be available Wed. Jan 14th)}

Photo: istockphoto.com