Dr. Bess Marshall treats patients at
St Louis Children’s Hospital
One Children’s Place
St. Louis MO 63110
and
1020 N. Mason Road, Medical Office Building 3
Creve Coeur, MO 63141
Phone: 314-454-6051
Question: My 15-year-old daughter seems tired all the time and she has gained a lot of weight in the last few years. Could she have a thyroid condition?
Answer: Children can develop an underactive thyroid. The thyroid is a gland in the neck that produces thyroid hormone, important in growth, brain development, and in maintaining a normal metabolism.
In addition to fatigue and weight gain, the symptoms of an underactive thyroid, called hypothyroidism, can include feeling cold all the time, constipation, dry skin, and depression.
In children who are still growing, hypothyroidism causes the child to stop growing, usually quite abruptly. In girls and women with hypothyroidism, menstrual periods can become heavier and more frequent.
Most of these symptoms (except growth arrest) are rather vague and can be caused by many things. A swelling of the thyroid gland, or goiter, is often a sign of a thyroid problem.
In your daughter’s case, checking her thyroid function would be reasonable. If her thyroid is underactive, she may need to take thyroid medication. It is important to be aware, however, that an underactive thyroid does not cause obesity. Hypothyroidism may cause some weight gain; however, if a child is truly obese, treating hypothyroidism will not correct
the obesity.
In the vast majority of cases, the tired teenager experiencing weight gain will not have an underactive thyroid.
Adolescents need more sleep than preteens and prefer to stay up and arise later. With their busy schedules, more homework, and earlier school start times, many teenagers don’t get adequate sleep. They also may not get enough exercise, as they are less likely to have physical education class in high school and may drop out of sports. People who are not physically fit will tend to feel like they have little energy. Depression can also cause symptoms of tiredness and weight gain, as can a number of other conditions.
With regard to your daughter’s weight gain, passing through puberty does bring about changes in girls, whose bodies normally add weight in the hips and chest as they mature. Ask your pediatrician about whether your daughter’s weight gain and lethargy suggests hypothyroidism, and if a blood test to measure thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level or thyroid antibody levels is indicated.