Mastering Your Metabolism

What you should know about thyroid health.

- Samantha Rideout

FOUND NEAR THE FRONT of your neck, the thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland whose main job is to regulate the speed of your metabolism. “It’s like the accelerator on your car,” explains Dr. Ashley Grossman, emeritus professor of endocrinology at the University of Oxford. “It keeps you running steadily.” However, when this system goes awry, the consequences are felt all over the body. Although we don’t know why, women are five to eight times more likely than men to get thyroid disorders. Most cases can’t be prevented, but once identified, they can be treated effectively.