28% of patients report that doctors have discussed nutritional information with them in the last year. Most doctors also report they had two minutes of training in the field in medical school or less. The basics they are taught are as follows:

• The characteristics of protein, carbohydrates, and fats.
• People who are obese should eat less.
• People with high blood pressure shouldn’t eat too much salt.
• People with heart disease should eat less sugar.

And that should be a bit concerning as that would be far below what any reader of Elle or Prevention Magazine would know. So next time you talk to your doctor ask him or her what their background experience is in nutrition.

Browsing on CNN earlier, I found this article on thyroid disorders, so I figured this would be a good place to start. This is a topic that ranks at the very top of my THINGS TO BE INTERESTED IN, because I have an underactive thyroid. I figure it can't hurt to learn all about something I'll be dealing with for the rest of my life.

Anyway, it surprised me to learn that close to ten percent of the general population may have a thyroid disorder. That's actually a lot of people! And almost half of those are undiagnosed. SO....

If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:
* Feeling tired, weak, or depressed.
* Dry skin and brittle nails.
* Not being able to stand the cold.
* Constipation.
* Memory problems or having trouble thinking clearly.
* Heavy or irregular menstrual periods.
you may have undiagnosed hypothyroidism, and should see your doctor for a simple blood test. Keep in mind that these symptoms tend to come on very gradually over a period of weeks or even years, so you may not notice them right away.

Conversely, the symptoms for hyperthyroidism are:
* You may feel nervous, moody, weak, or tired.
* Your hands may shake, your heart may beat fast, or you may have problems breathing.
* You may be sweaty or have warm, red, itchy skin.
* You may have more bowel movements than usual.
* You may have fine, soft hair that is falling out.
* You may lose weight even though you eat the same or more than usual.
If you have any of these symptoms, call your doctor. Without treatment, hyperthyroidism can lead to heart problems, bone problems, and a dangerous condition called thyroid storm.

Welcome to the health channel! I'm Starky, and I'll be dishing out health and wellness tips, along with answering any questions you might have. While I'm not a doctor (nor do I play one on tv), I'm fascinated by all things health-related. I can watch "Mystery Diagnosis" on the Discovery Health Channel and guess the ailments with alarming accuracy. Anything having to do with the body, with health and wellness, is a passion of mine.

/geek

If you have any health related questions, feel free to contact me. Specify in the note whether or not you wish to remain anonymous, because more than likely, your question will end up in the Q&A section.

If you come across any interesting health news, again, contact me. I'm always looking out for that kind of thing, but you may have found something I missed!