Weight is a significant influence in the development of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is present in about 5% of people with normal body weight; it is present in about 22% of individuals who are overweight, and 60% of individuals considered obese.
Adults who continue to gain five or more pounds per year raise their risk of developing metabolic syndrome by up to 45%.
Most of the metabolic syndrome risk factors don’t have any symptoms. Often, the only outward sign is packing some extra weight in the belly, which usually results in a larger waist.
Lifestyle modification is the preferred treatment of metabolic syndrome. Weight reduction usually requires a specifically tailored multifaceted program that includes diet and exercise. Sometimes medications may be useful. Other lifestyle changes may include losing weight, following a heart healthy diet, and quitting smoking.
Given how common metabolic syndrome is, everyone should be worried about the risk factors. Metabolic syndrome can dramatically increase your risk of serious health problems, such as diabetes, heart attacks, and strokes – yet often people don’t even know what metabolic syndrome is.
Although it was identified less than 20 years ago, metabolic syndrome is as widespread as pimples and the common cold. According to the American Heart Association, 47 million Americans have it. That’s nearly one out of every six people!
If you look more like an apple than a pear, your risk of developing metabolic syndrome is greater. In discussing your health plan, your doctor may not mention how fat that settles in your belly boosts health risks more than weight that sits in your butt.
One study found that an increase in muscular strength correlates with a decrease in metabolic syndrome risk in women.
Just one can of soda per day can increase your risk of metabolic syndrome by 34 percent.
A study in the journal SLEEP found that sleeping fewer than six hours increased risk by 45 percent.
If you lose a modest 5 percent of your body weight, you can make a significant impact on the important numbers like blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol/triglycerides.
Metabolic syndrome is also becoming more common. The good news is that it can be controlled.
