METABOLIC SYNDROME AND OBESITY
From a Series on Insulin Resistance and its
Links to Serious Health Conditions
By
Dr. Mary Shackelton, MPH, ND
Medical Director - Insulite Laboratories
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If you’ve been diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome, or Syndrome X as it’s also
known, you are among 20-25% of the adult population in the United States,
according to the American Heart Association.1 Somewhere between 58 and 73
million people suffer from the condition. Metabolic Syndrome is characterized by the following symptoms: excessive fat around the abdominal area, blood fat disorders (high triglycerides and low HDL ”good” cholesterol), high blood pressure, Insulin Resistance or Glucose Intolerance and a Prothrombotic or Proinflammatory State. This condition puts you at higher risk of developing life-threatening diseases that range from heart attacks and stroke to Type II Diabetes. People with Metabolic Syndrome are four times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke than those without the condition.2 And that’s only the beginning. In addition to all the other risks, women with Metabolic Syndrome also have higher occurrences of PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), a condition where high levels of excess insulin can stimulate the ovaries to secrete abnormally increased levels of testosterone. This male hormone may prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg each month, thus causing infertility. High testosterone levels can also contribute to excessive hair growth in women as well as acne and male pattern baldness. PCOS sufferers are also at greater risk of developing Gestational Diabetes, as well as liver, prostate, breast and colon cancer. Only in recent years has Metabolic Syndrome undergone scientific investigation, with the medical community beginning to make a dramatic change in the way it views and treats this condition. There is a growing body of scientific evidence that points to the underlying cause of Metabolic Syndrome being a condition called Insulin Resistance, created by obesity, physical inactivity and genetic factors. If you are Insulin Resistant, you are far more likely to develop Metabolic Syndrome. Insulin Resistance prevents the efficient conversion of food into energy because of a vastly reduced number of insulin receptor sites on the surface of your cell walls. It’s been estimated that a typical healthy person has 20,000 insulin receptors per cell, while the average overweight individual can have as few as 5,000. Too few receptors cause glucose and insulin levels to become severely unbalanced as they free-float in the blood stream. Insulin acts as "a key in a lock", allowing glucose to pass through the cell wall and be converted to energy. If you have too few receptor sites, glucose bounces off the cell wall instead of passing through the insulin "door". Glucose remains in the blood stream, causing elevated levels of blood sugar, which are sent to the liver. Once there, the sugar is converted to fat and stored via the blood stream throughout the body. This process can lead to weight gain and obesity. High glucose and insulin levels also lay the foundation for Type II Diabetes by raising blood sugar to dangerous levels. Recent research has additionally shown that unbalanced glucose and insulin levels can prompt abnormal cell growth, implicating it as the cause of certain cancers. Excess insulin can damage the lining of blood vessels and contribute to atherosclerosis, which is characterized by a dangerous build up of plaque on the artery walls. In addition, this imbalance leads to a greater risk of developing Cardiovascular Disease because of an increase in the level of triglycerides, which are fat-storing substances carried through the blood to the tissues. In my clinical practice, I saw an ever-increasing number of patients struggling with weight issues, which made me curious about what had triggered the growing obesity epidemic in this country. After attending a conference where the subject of Insulin Resistance was discussed, I became convinced this condition was the underlying cause of the current health crisis. This, in turn, led to my research into Insulin Resistance. The development of the Insulite System, which reverses Insulin Resistance, was a direct result. Previously, no one had developed a complete form of treatment for patients suffering from Insulin Resistance or Metabolic Syndrome. It is vitally important to address the health risks associated with Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance, not only in the context of improving the quality of your life but also because these conditions can have seriously detrimental effects on your long-term health. The American Heart Association states that the “underlying causes of this syndrome are overweight/obesity, physical inactivity and genetic factors.” If obesity is one of the underlying causes of Metabolic Syndrome, and Insulin Resistance is an underlying cause of obesity, it is logical that addressing the Insulin Resistance is central to treating Metabolic Syndrome. A study by Duke Medical Center3 found that people with Metabolic Syndrome, who made lifestyle modifications by exercising and losing weight, had a 47% reduction in insulin overproduction, also known as hyperinsulinemia and caused by Insulin Resistance. Those who exercised but didn’t lose weight saw a 27% reduction. Results like these suggested to me that, while a change in diet was important to reversing Insulin Resistance, it would not be effective just by itself. A multi-layered approach would be needed to correct this condition and the development of the Insulite System stemmed directly from my research in this area. Another important fact to emerge from the Duke Medical Center study was expressed by the study’s lead author, Lana Watkins, who wrote: “A non-pharmacologic treatment for these patients is needed, since drugs prescribed to lower blood pressure have been shown to actually worsen carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in Syndrome X (Metabolic Syndrome) patients, negating the beneficial effects of those drugs.”4 I took a non-pharmacologic approach as recommended by the Duke Medical Center study and only used the purest nutraceuticals (disease-specific vitamins, minerals and herbs) for the Insulite System. They are potent enough to effect substantial metabolic change. There is no single pill that will cure Metabolic Syndrome. But there is a way to address the underlying cause of this disorder by reversing Insulin Resistance. The exercise program and nutritional plan are also vital components of the Insulite System. So are the elements of outreach that provide information and support, which research has shown is an important psychological tool in achieving lifestyle changes. The underlying theories of the Insulite System are based on well-recognized and accepted science that reprograms neural networks. It replaces old, sedentary habits with gradual and permanent lifestyle changes. It is crucial to understand that controlling Metabolic Syndrome and reversing Insulin Resistance cannot be accomplished by simply taking a pill every day. Anyone who tells you that this is possible is not telling you the truth. You must approach this condition in a systematic manner. The Insulite System uses a combination of formulas that safely and effectively change your body’s chemistry. The formulas are coupled with a realistic and sensible exercise program plus a nutritional plan that will help prevent and reverse Insulin Resistance. People don’t change their habits overnight. A sedentary lifestyle, poor food choices and an ever-increasing amount of stress in our lives have all contributed to an explosion of health conditions such as Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance. I don’t recommend fad diets, strenuous exercise regimens or stimulants – research indicates that those so-called solutions will eventually fail. Gradual weight loss has been shown to be more effective in leading to permanent weight loss and changing unhealthy habits. A slow, steady and realistic plan will allow you to achieve your goals. Please, begin today to address these conditions. Your well being matters. Put yourself back on the path to optimum health. |
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Dr. Shackelton received her Masters in Public Health (MPH) from San Diego State University and her Naturopathic Doctorate (ND) from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona. She additionally completed a program from the Institute of Women’s Health and Integrative Medicine in Portland, Oregon. Her work in the field of public health laid a foundation for thinking in terms of improving the health of large sections of the population. Her practice as a Naturopathic Doctor has allowed her to focus one-on-one in a clinical setting on women's and children's health where she has successfully worked with many of her patients' Insulin Resistance and weight conditions. In 1998, Dr. Shackelton was a team doctor for the First Disabled Ascent of Mt. Everest. She conducted research at Everest Base Camp on the effects of herbs and homeopathic medicines on high altitude acute mountain sickness and published the study results in The Journal of Complementary Therapies. | ||
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References: 1 American Heart Association: http://www.americanheart.org. Figures based on U.S. Census estimates of population in 2004. | ||