Do you have metabolic syndrome?

An estimated 25 percent of the U.S. population has metabolic syndrome (the interconnected relationship of obesity, diabetes, high blood fats, and other factors). So sadly, this is a common disorder. According to criteria published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, you have metabolic syndrome if you have three or more of the following signs:

-Blood pressure equal to or higher than 130/85 mmHg

-Fasting blood sugar (glucose) equal to or higher than 100 mg/dL

-Large waist circumference (length around the waist):

     -Men - 40 inches or more
     -Women - 35 inches or more

-Low HDL cholesterol:

     -Men - under 40 mg/dL
     -Women - under 50 mg/dL

-Triglycerides equal to or higher than 150 mg/dL

The International Diabetes Foundation, The World Health Organization, The European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance, the U.S. National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel and the American Heart Association have all issued similar criteria for determining whether you have metabolic syndrome.

If you are overweight or have any of the signs of diabetes described previously, it is important to see a physician to determine if you have metabolic syndrome. Your metabolism is the entire process by which your body breaks down food (catabolism) and builds your body from nutrients in food (anabolism). Everything involved with metabolism, from your thyroid gland to your digestive and eliminative organs is involved, and every other part of your body is directly affected by the health or lack of health of your metabolism. If you have metabolic syndrome, then you can think of it as a hand grenade that has been thrown into your body. Unchecked over time, metabolic syndrome will cause your health to decline in all ways. You will lose energy, organs will fail, and you will incur other diseases. You do not want this to happen.

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