Presenter: Elizabeth Dobson

Faculty Sponsor: Emily Gonzalez

School: Northern Essex Community College

Research Area: Nutrition

Session: Poster Session 4, 2:15 PM - 3:00 PM, 165, D1

ABSTRACT

Hypothyroidism (HT) is a condition in the endocrine system in which the thyroid gland is underactive and does not produce enough thyroid hormone, which affects cellular metabolism, resulting in difficulty in weight management, and more specifically fat loss. To individuals suffering from hypothyroidism, struggling with weight management is incredibly discouraging and can lead to lack of motivation to test out different diet and exercise plans. The relationship between metabolism in individuals with hypothyroidism and exercise and nutrition is a highly understudied and inaccessible to the 4-10 % of the population who are diagnosed with the condition. This paper aims to synthesize the knowledge that endocrinologists and nutritionists have to offer to their patients and develop a preferable diet and exercise plan for them. An examination of case studies, journals, and articles will help determine if an anti-inflammatory diet and exercise plan influences metabolism in individuals with hypothyroidism and has a positive effect on their health and enhance their metabolism to aid in weight management and fat loss.