Due to the fast-paced society we live in today, the types of food we eat now are different than what was eaten years ago. People no longer have to forage, hunt or grow their food anymore. Food is available to most people in America, and in an over-abundant supply. Because food is readily available in abundance, people tend to eat more than they need calorically. This over-abundance and availability of food makes America a country where over eating is common. The amount of fast-food restaurants that carry high-calorie food also adds to the problem of over-eating. Eating more than you need puts you at risk of becoming overweight and becoming obese. Once people become overweight, the bad cycle just keeps going. When you are overweight or obese, you are more prone to developing metabolic syndrome – categorized by having high blood pressure, high cholesterol and some developed resistance to glucose. Once metabolic syndrome is developed, they are said to be more at risk for cardiovascular diseases, stroke and diabetes. There is no known cure for obesity; all that can be done is modifications to lifestyle and diet of the overweight person. This makes treating obesity and metabolic syndrome difficult in our society – if people work full time, have a family, and have a lot going on in their life, it is going to be difficult for them to find time to exercise, buy and make healthy foods and get out of the bad cycle. We are still waiting for a drug to be developed that can help get peoples’ lives back on track. But as of now, the best thing to do is to take a couple things out of your life and make time to diet and exercise.
Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome
