Parent and Baby

The incidence and extent of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents is increasing dramatically. Globally, the percentage of obese children and adolescents that come into clinics averages 38%, with the condition more prevalent in boys.

Metabolic syndrome is a group of interconnected conditions that can severly damage a person’s health. It is not a disease as such but it is a forerunner  to stoke, diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by insulin resistance, overweight (truncal obesity), high triglycerides and cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Many years ago, this syndrome was rare and is not even defined by the medical community but due to the increasing prevalence of obesity in the young, the syndrome caught the attention of the medical community. Metabolic syndrome is common among obese children and adolescents and these youngsters are already showing signs of cardiovascular risks.

Metabolic syndrome screening in overweight children and adolescents may help simplify screening strategies, identification, treatment and raise awareness of the combined risks for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Metabolic syndrome risk factors are:

1. Obesity: Those who have truncal obesity or apple-shaped body have higher risks than those who are pear-shaped. In an apple-shaped body, the fat is inside the abdomen, among the internal organs. They have higher rates of insulin resistance and abnormal lipid levels. a waist circumference of 40 inches or more in boys and 35 inches or more for girls indicates truncal obesity. A Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 30 is considered obese.
2. Hypertension: High blood pressure is very much associated with heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. A blood pressure of 140/90 is already considered stage 1 hypertension.
3. Dyslipidemia: Unhealthy levels of cholesterol and lipoproteins is indicated if the cholesterol level is above 200 mg/dl, the good cholesterol (HDL) is less than 40 mg/dl in men and less than 50 mg/dl in women and if the fasting triglycerides is greater than or equal to 150 mg/dl.
4. Insulin resistance: A fasting serum insulin level of greater than the upper limit of normal for the assay used is considered as having insulin resistance.