Virtually all of us have heard about the obesity “epidemic” (it’s not contagious, by the way), but what about metabolic syndrome? A lesser-known phenomenon, metabolic syndrome is a collection of conditions related to obesity that are typically treated separately with prescription drugs. Metabolic syndrome is almost as common in the US population as obesity: in 2016 it was reported to be around 35% for women and men, probably higher now. And just like obesity, rates have grown parallel with poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle.
Read MoreMore than 38 million Americans have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and an additional 97 million are prediabetic. It is estimated that more than 8 million others remain undiagnosed. How could this serious condition have gotten so out of hand and yet affect so many people? Partly because it has no symptoms, especially in the early stages.
Read MorePrediabetes means that your blood sugar levels are not quite high enough yet for a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes. More than 1 in 3 Americans— about 88 million people-- have prediabetes, and of those, more than 84% don't know it. Even more alarming is that 1 in 5 adolescents and 1 in 4 young adults are now prediabetic. Almost all cases of Type 2 Diabetes are preceded by prediabetes. Despite these alarming numbers, the good news is that the progression from prediabetes to diabetes is not inevitable: you can take steps to reverse it.
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