Do-It-Yourself diagnosis is usually a pretty bad idea; that is, unless you just so happen to have the letters M.D. that appear at the end of your signature. But for those of us without years of medical school under our belt, assuming that a particular pain, dysfunction, or even blotchy patch of skin is nothing to be concerned about can sometimes be a highly problematic for our health.

The British edition of Men's Health addresses the self-diagnosis problem in the article "7 Deadly Signs," describing how minor symptoms may actually signal major health hazards. Over the next seven days, we will provide a daily summary of one of the various aches and pains that may be indicative of a greater problem, illustrating the importance of maintaining open lines of communication with your physician and why DIY diagnosis can sometimes be dangerous.

Health Sign #4: Diarrhea

Could Possibly Be: An Overactive Thyroid

Diarrhea and dramatic weight loss -- despite having a healthy appetite -- are just few of the symptoms of this hormonal imbalance, which reportedly affects one in 50 people. In addition to the development of Graves' disease, an overactive thyroid can also lead to severe vision problems. "If diarrhea lasts for several days, coupled with poor sleep or intolerance of heart, it's likely you have a thyroid problem so see your GP for blood tests," says Dr. Mark Vanderpump, an endocrinologist at the Royal Free Hospital in London who was interviewed for the Men's Health article.

Links to:
Health Sign #1: Pain in Your Foot
Health Sign #2: Back Pain
Health Sign #3: Leg Pain

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Soy has come under some scrutiny lately, largely due to a recent review of studies conducted by the American Heart Association on the protein source's efficacy in protecting or improving cardiovascular health. The results of the study found no conclusive link between soy and such health benefits.

Additional studies also put soy in the hot seat. For women, soy was revealed to be almost worthless in alleviating menopause symptoms. Then, in a different study, researchers allegedly discovered that a diet rich in soy may actually lead to thyroid problems.

It seems as though the official verdict is still not in on soy, as there is still plenty of evidence to the contrary of that which was just mentioned.

Feel free to weigh in with your own opinions and/or links to studies and research on the health benefits (or lack thereof) of soy.

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Yes, Oprah Winfrey has gained weight. Again. But it's not her diet or a lack of exercise to blame for the 20 pounds she's recently acquired. It's her thyroid.

Oprah revealed on her show last week that she's been plagued by thyroid problems which have led to her run-down -- and heavier -- state.

"My body was turning on me," she wrote in the new issue of O magazine. "First hyperthyroidism, which sped up my metabolism and left me unable to sleep for days. (Most people lose weight. I didn't.) Then hypothyroidism, which slowed down my metabolism and made me want to sleep all the time."

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Each week, we'll be offering original recipes and unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

I know I've brought some crazy foods to the forefront in this feature, from lacto-fermented vegetables to broccoli sprouts, but now I am going to ask you to think about eating seaweed.

Huh?

You mean that stuff that wraps around your legs when you body surf, and makes the sunny beaches smell like dead fish? Why would you ever want to eat seaweed?

Kelp is rich in all the minerals found in human blood, pretty nourishing I'd say. High contents of folate, vitamin K, iodine for thyroid heath and calcium, not to mention cancer-fighting lignans, can all be found in kelp.

So why would you not want to eat seaweed, with all that it has going for it, and you?

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Dear Fitz. I'm trying to lose about 100 pounds and am having no luck. Seems like all of my teeny friends lose weight whenever they want. Is my metabolism way slower? Angie

A. Just the opposite is true Angie. It is waaaaaay easy for a larger person with lots of extra fat to lose weight than a person with just a little. For the most part, we all burn about 10 calories per day for each pound of body weight we have. A 120 person can consume 1200 a day without gaining weight (if they are not exercising). A 220 pound woman burns about 2200 a day just to maintain her weight. If she wanted to lose one pound (3600 calories) in three days....she could drop her consumption down to 1000 calories a day and do it. The 120 pound girl has to work infinitely harder. By cutting calories, she'd have to eat about 600 calories, which is absolutely not healthy. And she would have to go burn off 600 calories through exercise.

Your extra weight is just that. Weight. You're body burns lots of calories while struggling to carry all of that extra meat around. Sounds rough, but it's true. Go pick up two 25 pound dumbbells. Those 50 pounds are really heavy. Double that and that's what you're body is working to maintain. The reason you're not losing weight is that you're probably continuing the same poor eating and exercise habits that lead you to gain an extra 100 pounds in the first place. Maintaining your weight takes effort. Stop seeking out lots of food or high calorie food. You're probably doing one or both of those things. And just and FYI.....Hypo-thyroidism is very rare. The problem is more than likely not medical, it's a problem with your lifestyle.

Get to work Angie. Huff, Puff, and be particular about what you put in your mouth. You can do this! Fitz

A, Miss Fitzness. My husband won't go to the gym with me. He says our workouts are too different. But, I really want to go with him! What do ya suggest? Melissa

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Do you get tired easily or a lot? Some people I know get more sleep than they probably need and still almost fall asleep during boring meetings. What is the deal here? Ask your thyroid.

The thyroid disorder is known to be a genetic variation that occurs in some families. Do you know of anyone who has too easy of a time falling asleep? How about drifting off into sleep during the day when a full eight hours of sleep was had the night before?

The condition, known as hyperthyroidism, is more common in women but can be helped by medication. If you find yourself being tired too often or drifting off when you shouldn't be, you may want to visit your physician and see what the trouble could be. Perhaps hyperthyroidism runs in your family.

[correction noted]

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