No matter how much I eat, I'm always hungry. In the morning I'll have oatmeal, a bagel, milk, and a sandwich-and I'm starving as soon I get to school. I don't know how, but I'm still really skinny. What's wrong with me?
— Casey, 15, Minneapolis, MN
I must congratulate you on eating breakfast. It is, of course, the most important meal of the day. And you seem to be consuming a good balance of foods, including some protein, which should fill you up. But since it doesn't, and you're really thin, you might have 'hyperthyroidism,' or an overactive thyroid. Sometimes this gland will send out too many of the hormones that regulate your metabolism, causing you to burn through calories like crazy. Do you also have trouble sleeping and feel kind of nervous for no obvious reason? Those are other symptoms of this problem. Go to a doctor, who can diagnose you with a blood test. There are medications that can help you stop emptying your parents' refrigerator every single day.
— Rebecca Onion
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