Dr. Westin Childs Podcast: Thyroid | Weight Loss | Hormones

What is a thyroid belly? It’s the characteristic shape of the abdomen that many patients with hypothyroidism end up with and it’s caused by 4 things: 1. Visceral fat. Visceral fat is the fat that surrounds your organs. Thyroid dysfunction increases your risk for developing this type of fat. The more you have of it, the more it will push outward and cause a thyroid belly. 2. Subcutaneous fat. Subcutaneous fat is the fat that wiggles and jiggles and is found underneath your skin. This type of fat can also be caused by thyroid dysfunction. 3. Gas and bloating. Thyroid patients often end up with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and constipation which can distend the abdomen and result in a thyroid belly. 4. Fluid retention Lastly, hypothyroidism and the low thyroid state can cause fluid to accumulate in the abdomen which, once again, causes a protrusion of the belly. Can you get rid of your thyroid belly? Absolutely, but it will require that you figure out which of the 4 causes I just mentioned