Good Morning Britain’s Kate Garraway reveals secret condition which made her ‘super skinny’
KATE Garraway has opened up about the secret condition which made her ‘super skinny’.
Broadcaster Kate, 57, discussed how she had been diagnosed with a thyroid condition when giving birth to daughter Darcey, 18 years ago.
Speaking on Sarah Haran’s YouTube channel, Kate said: “I’ve got thyroid problems, I’ve got the autoimmune thyroid condition.
“And it was discovered after I had Darcey, when it went massively overactive and actually I got super skinny.
“I could literally eat anything and I was thin. And initially I thought ‘this is great’ and then I thought actually this is not great.”
Kate added “I’m still losing weight and it turned out to be overractive. So now I’ve gone the other way, so it’s virtually packed up.
“So I now have to take a lot of Thyroxine and so I keep it in there, my little bag, because if I don’t have it in something small, it won’t be on me when I need to take it.”
Earlier this year, Kate Garraway became a widow after beloved husband Derek Draper tragically passed away.
During the same YouTube conversation, the Good Morning Britain star said several people had remarked how she must be “relieved” in the aftermath- due to the emotional pressures involved.
Kate cleared this up, as she said: “They say this because they knew he was struggling, they knew that it was a massive challenge for me, and I think out of kindness for me, they think that I must be relieved he’s out of pain.
“But of course, we don’t feel that. It was an honour to care for him.”
It comes as the presenter has been facing further turmoil, following her beloved dad, Gordon, suffering a suspected stroke and heart attack.
Last month, Kate shared a throwback photo on social media of her smiling alongside her dad.
She captioned: “Hi all – sorry I disappeared from here when my Dad collapsed & rushed to hospital two weeks ago while having a holiday with my Mum at my brother’s .
“It was very scary but am so pleased that he is now stable & even recovering a bit in hospital – we have so much to be grateful for, but are taking it a day at a time.
Symptoms of an overactive or underactive thyroid
The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, just in front of the windpipe, which produces hormones that affect things such as your heart rate and body temperature.
An underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) is where your thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones. When it produces too many hormones, its known as an overactive thyroid or hyperthyroidism.
Both conditions cause different symptoms. Symptoms of an underactive thyroid are often similar to those of other conditions, and they usually develop slowly, so you may not notice them for years.
- tiredness
- being sensitive to cold
- weight gain
- constipation
- depression
- slow movements and thoughts
- muscle aches and weakness
- muscle cramps
- dry and scaly skin
- brittle hair and nails
- loss of libido
- pain, numbness and a tingling sensation in the hand and fingers
- irregular periods or heavy periods
If you have any of these symptoms, see a GP and ask to be tested for an underactive thyroid.
Symptoms of an overactive thyroid:
- nervousness, anxiety and irritability
- mood swings
- difficulty sleeping
- persistent tiredness and weakness
- sensitivity to heat
- swelling in your neck from an enlarged thyroid gland (goitre)
- an irregular and/or unusually fast heart rate (palpitations)
- twitching or trembling
- weight loss
See a GP if you these symptoms.
Source: NHS
“Huge thanks to the incredible NHS staff for their endless kindness & the heart they put into the care of all their patients which has meant so much to my mum & all our family.”
One fan wrote: “Sending love Kate to you and your family.”
A second posted: “Glad to hear he is on the road to recovery”.
While a third added: “We all love you and send best wishes.”