By Marie Dufour, RD – Fifty million, and rising. That’s the number of Americans with metabolic syndrome. Never heard of it? Here’s the scoop.
The metabolic syndrome is a group of symptoms that increases risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease and type 2 diabetes. A person with metabolic syndrome exhibits at least 3 of the following:
1 – Abdominal obesity (that “spare tire” around the belly, over 35″ in women, over 40″ in men)
2 – Insulin resistance (fasting glucose of 100 mg/dL or greater)
3 – Elevated blood pressure (130/85 mm Hg or higher)
4 – Abnormal blood lipids
– triglycerides over 150mg/dL
– low “good” HDL cholesterol (less than 40 mg/dL in men, 50 mg/dL in women)
– high “bad” LDL cholesterol
5 – Prothrombotic state (e.g., high fibrinogen or plasminogen activator inhibitor)
6 – Proinflammatory state (e.g., elevated C-reactive protein in the blood)
In this list of symptoms, the greater players are ABDOMINAL OBESITY and INSULINE RESISTANCE (the body’s difficulty in using insulin efficiently.)
The causes for this syndrome are many and they add up: physical inactivity, aging, hormonal imbalance, and genetic predisposition. And, in the latest news, STRESS (increased cortisol level) and ECONOMIC STATUS (in hard times, people buy cheap fat-&-sugar foods.)
The good news is that the Metabolic Syndrome is largely preventable, even in individuals with adverse genetics. A change in lifestyle habits is the first line of defense. These lifestyle interventions include:
- Weight loss to achieve a desirable waistline (or BMI of 25 or lower)
- Increased physical activity to at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity
- Food choices that include reduced saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol (1)
As for the hype about stress and economic status, since it will take the official organisms some time to respond, here’s my take on it.
- To reduce stress, engage in physical activity: endorphin release will counteract the cortisol levels, especially with early-morning exercise, when cortisol levels are at the highest.
- In hard economic times, eat less food, but eat quality foods:
* whole grains, beans, vegetables (fresh, frozen, canned), eggs (eat the whites only), and low-fat dairy
* buy less meat, less processed foods and juices
* ban booze, beer, and wine for a while.
This will not only help the budget, it will help lower blood pressure and shrink the waistline.
Times are hard, definitely, and our wealth may be precarious. But our health is our most precious commodity. Let’s not squander it away!
Sources: (1) American Heart Association – National Institute of Health
Filed under: Lifestyle, community nutrition, diet, public health , abdominal obesity, community nutrition, economic status, healthy lifestyle, healthy living, heart health, High blood pressure, high LDL, hurried lifestyle, hypertension, insulin resistance, low HDL, Marie Dufour RD, men's health, metabolic syndrome, nutrition, obesity, public health, stress, stress eating, weight control, weight loss, women's Health
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