It’s no doubt that women today are overworked and chronically sleepy, hungry or ill as a result. It’s true -- often you only need to put the phone away and hit the sack at the same time each night or trade in your after-work cocktail hour for some gym time to make positive changes to your health.

But what if you have a creeping sensation that your tiredness wouldn’t go away with more sleep? Or if you have been hitting the gym the appropriate amount of time and the weight just won’t go away? There may be more at work here than meets the eye. There are three diseases that may show up in your genes that can affect your health much earlier than you might think.

Thyroid Disease

When someone is naturally thin, people often say that he or she has a high metabolism. When we talk about metabolism, we are actually talking about the thyroid gland, which is situated at the base of your neck, and it is that gland that regulates one’s metabolism. It is true, someone can be born with a fast (or slow) metabolism and love (or loathe) his or her body’s natural shape as a result. Those who have a high or standard metabolism may find that this natural perk doesn’t necessarily last a lifetime. In fact, it could change as early as your first pregnancy.

Women are more likely to suffer from thyroid disease than men, and it is because pregnancy has an impact. One in eight women will experience thyroid disease in her lifetime, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. There are two types of thyroid disease: hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.

Hypothyroidism means that the body does not produce enough of the thyroid hormone, and it can cause the following effects.

•    Fatigue