Artstract By Hailey
Metabolic syndrome is a combination of conditions that increase one’s risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. It is characterized by excess fat in the abdominal areas, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar.1
High Fat Diet
One of the things that can cause metabolic syndrome is inflammation via a poor diet. Specifically, a high fat diet filled with saturated fatty acids that are in food like cake, butter, chocolate, and red meat. This inflammation starts in the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus functions to control homeostasis. Some fats and oils are also linked to insulin and leptin resistance. Leptin resistance causes someone to eat more and more because it becomes harder for them to feel full. Insulin resistance leads to high blood sugar and many other physiological comorbidities. With a diet high in saturated fatty acids, the hypothalamus cannot control normal homeostatic processes like blood sugar or appetite.
This inflammation in the hypothalamus occurs through many cell signaling pathways. One pathway in particular is affected by saturated fatty acids. In figure 1, we see saturated fatty acid (SFA) triggers activation of IKK and NF-κB to produce the expression of pro-inflammatory genes in the hypothalamus like SOCS3 and cytokines. In fact, inhibiting this signaling pathway inhibits insulin and leptin resistance.2
Figure 1. Pathway of Inflammation in Hypothalamus
Hypothalamic Dysfunction
As stated earlier the hypothalamus controls the body’s homeostasis. With a high fat diet causing inflammation in the hypothalamus, there are other things that may come of it. Hypothalamic dysfunction can lead to brain tumors, infertility, and osteoporosis. Metabolic syndrome can cause hypothalamic dysfunction, so it is important for body and brain health to prevent and treat it.3
America’s Relationship with Food
The answer to this problem seems simple: eat less saturated fats. But, it is not simple. The United States has had a problem with obesity and metabolic syndrome for decades. The U.S. Department of Agriculture found that Americans eat 20% more calories in 2000 than in 1983 and consumption of added fats rose by two thirds. Additionally, fast food (which is often full of saturated fats) makes up about 11% of an average American’s diet. This may be due to the convenience of these meals. We often find ourselves spending more time at work than at home with no time to make a home cooked meal, so we rely on drive-throughs to get our meals.4
How Can We Address This?
- Quality over quantity
- The focus needs to be on good nutrition. Food assistance programs in the United States has helped to address hunger overall, but not healthy nutrition. Programs need to improve access to more quality foods.
- Integrate healthy nutrition into health care
- Although nutrition exists within health care, food and nutrition needs to be raised to the same level as medication. This can be done through prescriptions. Prescriptions for meals and food would help support a patient in their journey to good health.5
Making healthy food more assessable is a crucial step to address the problem of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Accessibility will help Americans prevent and treat hypothalamic dysfunction as well as obesity and metabolic syndrome overall.
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2022). What Is Metabolic Syndrome? https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/metabolic-syndrome
- Jais, A., & Brüning, J. C. (2017). Hypothalamic inflammation in obesity and metabolic disease. The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 127(1), 24–32. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI88878
- Mount Siani. (2023). Hypothalamic Dysfunction. https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/diseases-conditions/hypothalamic-dysfunction#:~:text=Symptoms%20may%20include%20feeling%20cold,lack%20of%20interest%20in%20activities.
- Public Health. (2023). Why Are Americans Obese? https://www.publichealth.org/public-awareness/obesity/#:~:text=As%20for%20what%20is%20driving,food%20and%20too%20little%20exercise.
- Aubrey, A. (2022). The U.S. diet is deadly. Here are 7 ideas to get Americans eating healthie NPR News. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/08/31/1120004717/the-u-s-diet-is-deadly-here-are-7-ideas-to-get-americans-eating-healthier
