Metabolic Syndrome: The Why of the Diabetes Epidemic, Part 5

Metabolic syndrome, what is it? Well, it is a group of problems or conditions that could lead to prediabetes and diabetes. How does one know if he has this condition? It is easy to recognize this but here are the signs that two or more of the following will indicate a positive answer: (not in a good way)

. High blood pressure greater than 130/85 mmHg

. A big waist of forty inches or greater for men and thirty-four or greater for women

. Low HDL or good cholesterol of lower than 40 mg/dL for men or below 50 mg/dL for women

. High level triglycerides of more than or the same as 150 mg /dL

It is a big mistake to ignore the presence of the above or the metabolic syndrome as this could have a great impact on one's health. It could certainly lead to diabetes and this is one thing I am very passionate about to prevent.

And diabetes could lead to cardiovascular problems, two to five times more than those without this condition. It is also the chief cause of kidney failure, blindness, limb amputation, and neurological complications. Life span is also lowered by seven to twelve years. Now you know why I am so passionate about preventing diabetes complications.
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Now type 2 diabetes is on the rise. Our industrialized lifestyle certainly contributed to this. We are eating more (and the wrong food at that) and moving less with all those energy-saving machines we have at our disposal. We are living the dream life of a coach potato. Give me that remote, I need to lie down.

Yeah, right! Just look at how our forefathers lived their life. Some were farmers who got up at dawn to tend to their animals and growing their own food. Now this automated the production of food and the hard-working slim farmer is replaced by an overweight one driving an air-conditioned tractor, planting and harvesting all by himself.

Now don’t get me wrong. I am not against labor-saving devices; they’re great to have and should free us to pursue other leisure time activities like playing balls and such. But no, we were reduced to becoming sports spectators instead of going out there and playing the game ourselves. Is it any wonder metabolic syndrome is here to stay?