Good Housekeeping's editors have issued a statement regarding the many responses they've received from patients and practitioners who are disgusted and outraged by the magazine's article about thyroid disease that was published in the August 2011 issue.You can read their whole response at their site, but here's an excerpt:
Not surprising, this response is being viewed as a dismissive brush-off by patients, who are already commenting fast and furiously on the statement. (For particularly passionate and eloquent responses, see DearThyroid's Katie Schwartz & Joanna Isbill's post responding to the Good Housekeeping brush-off."Good Housekeeping's August 2011 article on thyroid disease describes one woman's quest to understand her own ambiguous diagnosis. As described in the article, there is a great deal of controversy surrounding the diagnosis and treatment of low thyroid disorders -- among mainstream physicians as well as those with a more complementary or integrative orientation. We recognize that much of the information on the Internet serves to support patients who haven't been heard or understood by their own doctors -- a terribly disheartening and frustrating experience for anyone. But it is often difficult to discern what's been scientifically tested and proven versus what is still being explored. That is why this article, like all health articles in GH, drew on research and advice that is evidence-based; typically, such information comes from credentialed doctors working at leading medical and academic centers. A careful reader of our story will see that doctors we consulted acknowledged that low thyroid levels might be treated if a patient has other problems like infertility or depression or if she has Hashimoto antibodies and other factors. It is our hope that better understanding of the disease will lead to more effective treatment for all. That's really the goal and the motivation behind all of Good Housekeeping's health coverage."
I would also like to share my own comments here. The same comments have been posted at the Good Housekeeping's site.
There are many qualified, respected physicians who would say that Susan Carlton's diagnosis is not at all ambiguous. She's forty-something, tired, brain-fogged, gaining weight with no change in diet and exercise, a family history of Hashimoto's disease. and she has a borderline TSH thyroid level ("borderline" by the older standard, but one that would be considered hypothyroid by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologist's own recommendations, and would be diagnosed as clearly hypothyroid by some endocrinologists). Ambiguous? Perhaps to the several endocrinologists she talked to for the article who went to medical school decades ago.My take? It seems from their statement that Good Housekeeping would like to make this go away. They would like to sweep this whole controversy under the rug, and ignore the hundreds of patients who have personally complained to them, the dozens of doctors who have written to them, and the millions of women who may suffer needlessly by following the misguided advice in their article.As for controversy -- it seems that Good Housekeeping did a good job presenting one side of the controversy -- the archaic "it's just women trying to lose weight, why treat it at all" school of thought. But there is a controversy. If you have a TSH of 4.999 and every symptom in the book, Endo A will tell you you are hypothyroid and treat you, and Endo B will tell you you're fine. Where is the discussion of THAT controversy? You don't even need to bring in the topic of the "integrative and complementary" physicians that you discuss so derisively. The endocrinologists themselves can't even agree what's "normal." You didn't even touch up on that crucial part of the issue.
Also, when covering a controversy, it's traditional to cover BOTH SIDES of the controversy. So where are the voices of those endos who don't agree with Daniels and Garber? And where are the board-certified physicians with medical degrees who treat hundreds of thyroid patients each week, and who disagree wholeheartedly with the viewpoints -- and let's be clear, they are VIEWPOINTS, and not medical facts -- that were presented in the article? Yes, they are nowhere to be seen in this one-sided article.
Good Housekeeping has been provided with information from physicians, in some cases featuring footnoted data from the world's top evidenced-based medical journals. I know, because I provided it to you. That data is coming from credentialed doctors, working at leading medical and academic centers, and referencing research being done by same. Where are the footnotes for your experts' opinions? Where is the "evidence-based medicine" that suggests that coffee, crosswords and spinning class are a treatment for hypothyroidism?
Let's face it.
Good Housekeeping did a superficial job researching a complicated topic, consulted only two people among many in the field, consulted no patients, failed to explore the actual controversy at all, derogatorily called thyroid disease the "disease du jour," and your writer chose to avoid treatment that many physicians would say will help prevent her from developing over hypothyroidism, high cholesterol, depression, weight gain, and a host of other health problems.
And the cherry on top? Suggesting that it's somehow the smarter/better/healthier thing to refuse treatment, and instead to manage autoimmune hypothyroidism with coffee, crosswords and a spinning class.
You write that "it is our hope that better understanding of the disease will lead to more effective treatment for all. That's really the goal and the motivation behind all of Good Housekeeping's health coverage."
There's no question that better understanding of the disease will lead to more effective treatment. But your Good Housekeeping article does little to contribute to better understanding of thyroid idsease. In fact, Good Housekeeping's article represents a dismissive, patronizing setback for thyroid patients, many of whom are -- or used to be -- YOUR READERS. Women who are facing significant health conditions deserve MUCH more than your magazine's flippant, superficial and demeaning treatment.
It's bad enough when newspapers demean or misrepresent thyroid disease. It's bad enough when doctors -- including some endocrinologists -- treat women patients in a patronizing and dismissive manner.
But when a women's magazine, one that professes to have as its goal to help women, covers a women's health issue that affects millions of women -- some estimates claim that 30 million or more women have thyroid conditions in the US alone -- in such an irresponsible and demeaning way, it's time for us to continue to speak up.
TAKE ACTION! -- Don't let this issue die. Email the editor, Rosemary Ellis, at ghletters@goodhousekeeping.com. Go to their site and let share your thyroid story at their siteGood Housekeeping and its editor know what you think of their article, and their brush-off of thyroid patients. Tweet it. Facebook it. Keep spreading the word. Keep sticking up for your fellow thyroid patients. Because if we don't, who will?
Photo: clipart.com
You said it…when a WOMEN’S MAGAZINE does this, it a real stab in the back to we thyroid patient WOMEN. This almost hurts worse than all those doctors who dismissed me for 25 years until I almost wasn’t in this world anymore.
And then i think about the friends/family who will have read this article and will then feel justified in making derogatory/snide/condescending comments when i try to explain (again) how it is to manage a chronic autoimmune disease/condition – and how I can have good days and bad days – and how certain situations/etc. can trigger an autoimmune flare-up.
GH had a chance to do something really positive for their WOMEN readers. Instead they are choosing a “CYA” approach and have now added insult to injury – and injure is exactly what their article and response does to WOMEN.
I rather doubt my 18 year old daughter decided to have hashimotoes so she could lose weight. she was diagnosed afer 6months of every rotten symptoms including hair falling out , loss of eyebrows sleeping 24 hours a day….ect ect. starting weight 108. 6mo later 178. its hard enough for her having to explain moving back home for a semester from college to family and friends . but that article just plain stupid ignorant. coffee and spinning classes????
Yeah right spinning class!!! Try forcing yourself out of bed exercising by lifting weights, walking, jogging, exercise dvds (Jillian’s work outs) to only be dismayed by yet another gain. What drives me crazy is everyone just assumes we are fat, lazy women only looking for an excuse to find an easy way to lose weight. To tell you the truth I still struggle with weight, but weight is not the ONLY issue with low functioning thyroid is it? Achy muscles, hair loss, dry skin, freezing when it is warm to everyone else, irritability, insomnia and many many more. I was one of those border line patients BUT actually had a doctor that listened to my symptoms. She told me she would rather see my tsh between 1 to 2 and see if my symptoms improve. I was at a 3.5. I couldn’t imagine how I would have felt if I had to wait until I got to 6.0 or greater before someone listened to me. She also explained why not keep someone that is having all the symptoms I was at a healthy range between 1 to 2 if that person feels better with their ranges there. 1 to 2 is a GOOD range, not out of order so WHY NOT! I did feel so much better! My hair stopped falling out, I can actually get things done around the house now, I can spend quality time with my family and yes I can actually enjoy exercise because I have the energy to do it. I still struggle with weight and probably always will, but Armour has given me hope and made me feel normal again.
This is just a lame attempt at damage control, nothing more.
I challenge Good Housekeeping to invite Mary Shomon to write a WELL INFORMED article on thyroid disease.
Thyroid patients have been misdiagnosed, under treated, belittled, mistreated and kept sick by archaic modalities that have been proven over and over again BY PATIENTS, to NOT WORK.
I echo Cindi S’s thoughts on this. It’s hard enough to try and explain an illness that impacts every aspect of your life that you can’t SEE, to friends and family, without having some half assed archaic magazine article fueling the fire.
Step up to the plate Good Housekeeping. If you want to be seen as a reputable source of health information for thyroid patients, you will invite Mary Shomon to write an article on thyroid disease that will bring you into the 21st century on this disease – AND more importantly, help thyroid patients get the proper treatment that they so desperately need AND deserve, to live healthy lives.
I have the magazine but haven’t read it yet. I get ticked off when I see Synthroid or generic ’synthetic hormone’ mentioned in articles as the ONLY medication for hypothyroidism too.
My TSH level was 173.15, my hair was falling out, I gained 3kgs in ~10 days (eating salads because we had a heatwave at the time), felt like sleeping all day, felt chronically fatigued – the list was endless. These symptoms appeared in a space of ~6weeks. At this I blamed it on the heat so did nothing about it. Fortunately I have a great GP who sent me for tests which confirmed Hashimoto. Actually I had a call from my GP the same day I had my blood tests – to come in and see him asap. I now have normal levels by taking medication and some days are good, others are bad. I would like to swap places for a week with anyone who dares to call it by any other diagnosis. I call it ignorance. Thanks so much for your very informative website Mary.
very irresponsible of GH-perhaps even dangerous. Anyone who has suffered the symptoms of hypothyroidism ,as I have, knows the feeling of desperation. After two rounds of different antidepressants and feeling worse my Dr. decided to check my thyroid levels-after 1 week of Armour Thyroid I began to feel like myself again. Also, I would like to point out that men also suffer from hypothyroidism-they just refuse to see a Dr. GH certainly dropped the ball on this one-extremely disappointed and surprised.
As a former thyroid patient and an RN I dealt with this dismissive type of treatment until I took things into my own hands. Fortunataly the type of thyroid disease I had was treatable by surgery. There is only one way to deal with this type of article and that is empowerment. Cancel your subscription to Good Housekeeping and let them know why!
To Susan Carlton: just wait. I’ve done the spin class that you think is going to save you from your spiraling weight problem. I’ve done 2+ hours per day at the gym, survived on 1200 cal per day, and guzzled caffeinated beverages all day long in the hope of getting ahead of my hashimoto’s symptoms. and what, you may ask, did I get for my YEARS of effort? More fatigue, more brain fog, more weight gain. And: a wrecked metabolism. And: adrenal insufficiency. And: early menopause. And: high blood pressure. I’m a writer, too, and there were days upon days when I couldn’t think straight enough to get more than a single word down on a page. there were days when I didn’t have the energy or focus to get out of bed. you think hashimoto’s is tough now. Just wait.
Kat-I just had to respond to your reply about the GH article. I did all those things,too! Did aerobics back in the 70’s until people thought I was addicted to it-2+ hours, 5-7 days a week, went on every diet I could find and would lose weight for 2 weeks-then gain it back plus, without changing my eating habits. What I got for it was ruined knees, headaches from the diets, weight gain and yes, a wrecked metabolism and adrenal insufficiency as well as the brain fog. My GP at the time put me on Synthroid which helped a little but not enough. And I was raising 2 boys, thankfully, not on my own. It took me another 10 years to find a GP who felt Armour was the better choice for me. I do feel better but not good. I wonder if I ever will, even though my TSH levels are great now. I just wish people could understand, it’s NOT laziness that causes me to want to sleep until noon. It’s not old age that is causing me to stop mid-sentence to try to gather my thoughts-it IS hypothyroidism. The sad thing is, I have a couple of friends who are also hypo and both are very thin through diet. They don’t understand why I can’t do it,too. We still shoot our own wounded.
Mary,
I wrote a letter to the Editor of GH Mag last week. I just wanted to say “Thank You”! for standing up for all of us. Alone we can not do much to change the way the Endos treat us, the world treats us but together we can change things!
Keep up the good work!
Margaret
I totally understand everyone’s concerns about dismissing women with high TSH AND symptoms… I have a sister and other relatives with hypothyroidism and they have really suffered with the symptoms before being diagnosed and treated. I, however, have a ‘backwards’ problem. My TSH is really high… started out over 4.0 and now is up to 14… BUT I have not one single symptom of hypothyroidism. My Free T4 is fine and that’s the only other number I have been given through blood tests. My doctor has wanted to put me on medication for more than a year, but I have refused because I have none of the many symptoms of the disease. Until I do, I’m not convinced that I AM hypothyroid. Any comments on that?
I would characterize Ms. Carlton’s attitude about her hypothyroidism as flippant. Treating thyroid problems is very complex and certainly to be taken very seriously. She is harming herself listening to endocrinologists. So many of them are so old school and not up to date. Also too many of them encourage medications that Big Pharma produces such as Synthroid or the generic versions of levothyroxine and dismiss Armour thyroid and other supplements that can be taken to nurture the thyroid and adrenal glands. I refuse to go to an endo. Instead I go to a wellness clinic and one of the doctor’s there has hypothyroidism. Ms. Carlton most likely has Hashimoto’s (considering some of her relatives already have it). I wonder what her relatives with Hashimoto’s think of the article. Ms. Carlton needs more than her TSH tested to determine if she has a thyroid problem when she mentions the other symptoms that she has.
If Good Housekeeping is going to regain any credibility with thyroid patients and those in-the-know Doctors, there will need to be another article written that is much more responsible and accurate. This article could really harm those who have thyroid problems and don’t know it. Many people suffer from thyroid problems for years before they are properly diagnosed, and this article just adds to the problem.
I find this article very misleading. Don’t tell a thyroid cancer survivor (like myself) that low TSH levels don’t warrant treatment. Ours are always low and we are on treatments for the rest of our lives to keep them that way. I had Hashimoto’s and it wasn’t really treated and look what happened (cancer). Not once did the article mention a good “neck check”. These are very important because that little lump you feel could be a goiter but it could also be a malignant tumor. Any good article about thyroid disease, I feel, should mention neck checks by your physician. Also, my biggest help came from reputable sources on the internet. And, I really don’t feel women would rush to their doctor asking for thyroid hormone replacement just to lose weight. They would be taking a drug and all drugs carry risks of their own. Believe me, the weight doesn’t come off with those pills. Finally, I want to thank Mary Shomon. She is doing a great job in presenting all thyroid diseases, their symptoms and treatment. Thanks again for the thyca articles. Great Job, Mary.
I suppose GH doesn’t realize that some of the marketers approving million dollar ad buys with them have thyroid problems. I will be pulling all spending with a publication I once believed was responsible. Maybe some caffeine, crosswords and spinning classes will help their revenue stream.
Thank you for your comment. It’s nice to hear that someone has strings they can pull to really affect a big entity like Good Housekeeping. I know I won’t be supporting any of their advertisers or buying the magazine. In fact there was a special edition decorator magazine I was going to purchase until I saw it was a Good Housekeeping product. Their revenue is really the only thing they care about, not the health of their readers.
Winter
I have hyperthyroid disease, and i too, know the struggles of feeling good and weight issues.people keep saying I should lose weight easier, but when your appetite is racing you eat more, and don’t feel like exercising.Shame on that magazine for allowing that article.It is hard enough to get your family anad friends to understand it,this does not help.
Thank you to Mary Shomon for bringing this topic up to begin with. I have commented on the Good Housekeeping site and written to the editor. I let the editor, Ms.Ellis, know my feelings on the article. I also suggested that her magazine should stick to what they know such as reviewing vaccuum cleaners and cookie recipes. Leave the serious topics to serious journalists. The only thing that will really affect the magazine is a drop in sales. Please ecourage your family and friends not to buy Good Housekeeping and see how they feel about a drop in revenue. Also let their advertising sponsors know you won’t support them if they support Good Housekeeping.
Very well-written, Mary. Nicely done. Thank you.
Just imagine..after a lifetime of struggling with my weight, I managed to lose 100 pounds. I became a spin instructor, a personal trainer, a food coach, and worked sales in a fitness gym. After maintaining my weight loss for two years, I had a tummy tuck (as a final reward). I suddenly began gaining weight, had my hair falling out in chunks, and was exhausted all the time. As my waist expanded, I berated myself..how could I be gaining weight when I exercised all day and ate a balanced diet?
I tested for a low thyroid but didn’t feel the doctor took my symtoms seriously. I READ that GH article and felt even worse..maybe I should diet even more, exercise MORE (even though I teach six classes per week on top of strength training). THirty pounds gained later, I have switched my doctor, and I am starting to stand up for myself. I have beat myself up for so long that I was even over exercising and geting injured, and barely eating any food. I now hope that I can get the right help to turn my metabolism around and hold my head up high. It’s hard to be IN the fitness industry and put on weight in front of my clients. If I mention thyroid issues, you can just see the eye rolling. Articles like GH do a lot of harm. This is a serious condition that a lot of us are ignorant about. I will update you when I start to see this turn around, but I no longer feel like a big loser who can’t get it right.
I actually feel sorry for this writer. She is setting herself up for frustration and failure.
I cannot believe this happened. I have a history of thyroid problems, as do most of the women in my family, and I would have to agree that I feel sorry for the writer. It is hard enough to be a woman this day and age, but to add thyroid problems doesn’t exactly help.
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