'Obesity, put simply, could lead to diabetes'

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'Obesity, put simply, could lead to diabetes'

Hamburg - Obesity's main causes are well-known - an unhealthy diet

and lack of exercise.

Its dangers are however often underestimated.

Together with hypertension and high levels of fat and sugar in the

blood, it plays in a deadly quartet that quickly becomes metabolic

syndrome (MTS).

The metabolism of MTS sufferers increasingly veers off course and

could lead to a heart attack or stroke.

'There's no such thing as a healthy fat person'

Millions of people especially over 40 years are at risk, according

to Hartmut Becker of the German health foundation, Exclamation

Point, near Munich.

One cause of MTS is obesity, especially deposits of fat around the

internal organs, noted Professor Alfred Wirth of the German

Adiposity Society in Hamburg.

He said the fat was broken down into free fatty acids that blunt the

action of insulin, which the pancreas produces to keep blood sugar

levels constant.

That, put simply, can lead to diabetes. According to Professor

Markus Hanefeld of Dresden, who studies metabolic syndrome, people

with MTS are at considerably greater risk of developing diabetes.

Since the amount of fat in the blood also increases, deposits build

up in the arteries.

'There are no special diets'

Both diabetes and obesity raise blood pressure, increasing the

chances of a cardiovascular disorder or even heart attack.

Measuring one's waistline is one way of assessing the risk, experts

point out. Becker, a general practitioner, said the danger zone for

men was more than 102cm; for women, more than 88.

The sooner countermeasures are taken, the better the chances of

staying healthy, Wirth remarked.

When obese persons with MTS lose a lot of weight, he said, the

majority also leave their MTS behind.

" There are no special diets, " said Becker, who

suggested " unsaturated instead of saturated fats, for example fish

once or twice a week, roughage and a lot of fruit and vegetables. "

Regular exercise is also important. Drugs are an alternative. Some

can improve the action of insulin, others impede the assimilation of

fat.

But all of them have side effects, Becker warned.

Much about MTS remain unclear, starting with its very definition.

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has strict guidelines on

waistlines.

Men whose girth is greater than 94cm are considered to be at risk,

as are women whose midriffs exceed 80cm.

The interrelations of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and

lipometabolism are not fully known either.

Professor Wolfgang Kerner of the German Diabetes Society in

Dusseldorf noted that nobody knew for certain whether insulin

resistance was the main cause of MTS.

" We want to raise awareness that a time bomb is ticking " for people

with MTS, said Becker.

" The German Adiposity Society's Wirth said his primary aim was to

convince people of the danger of obesity.

" People think that if they feel good, they're healthy, " Wirth said.

" But there was no such thing as a healthy fat person - " only a fat

person who hasn't fallen ill yet. " - Sapa-dpa

Published on the Web by IOL on 2006-03-27 04:29:49