Genes and Metabolic Syndrome

The headline are this news release reads that your chances of having Metabolic Syndrome increases if you have a certain pattern of genetic markers. And this is important, we continue to learn, because people are overweight, eating unhealthy schlock, and this leads to chronic diseases, including Metabolic Syndrome.

Here’s the kicker from the article:
This linkage is important, because as the population of obese adults continues to grow in the United States, they become susceptible to problems such as diabetes and heart disease. Better understanding of associations between obesity, the CD36 gene and disease risk may led to earlier identification and intervention for people susceptible to metabolic syndrome, the team said.

This focus on treating symptoms is symptomatic of our culture of health. We have somehow lost the courage to hold people accountable for their actions.

We tend to point to problems that are outside of ourselves – those fats, why, they’re the culprit; no it’s the carbs, no it’s the genes, no it’s the environment.

Another alternative is that we create the conditions that lead to Metabolic Syndrome by eating schlock, and lots of it. If, as stated above, we need to manage this growing issue (no pun intended), we should treat the problem rather than the symptoms. Our genes have not changed as we have taken on more weight and health problems. Our behaviors and food choices have changed.

Yes, we need treatment for the already sick. But any sustainable solution must improve the cause of the problem and not just Band-Aid its effects.