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September 29, 2005 Health Indicators Point to Disease Risks As many as 114,000 North Dakota adults may have indicators that they could be at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, a North Dakota State University nutrition expert warns. Those health indicators, called the metabolic syndrome, include a large waist circumference (greater than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women); elevated blood pressure, fasting blood sugar and blood fat or triglycerides; and low levels of HDL cholesterol, also known as “good” cholesterol. “The metabolic syndrome is identified when a person has at least three of the five health indicators outside normal limits,” says Jane Edwards, an NDSU Extension Service nutrition and health specialist. “Waist measurement is a value which we all can evaluate with a tape measure or a good, honest look in the mirror,” she adds. Edwards speculates that lifestyle changes partly are to blame for the high risk of developing chronic illnesses. Lifestyles that used to require physical work are filled with labor-saving devices. “Even those who earn their living with physical labor, such as farmers and ranchers, do much less physical activity than in earlier times,” she notes. “Life is ‘easier’ on the northern Plains, but much less healthy.” Recently, North Dakota received the dubious distinction of being the state with the fifth highest rate of people who are overweight or obese. Combined, they make up 62.4 percent of the state’s adult population. High school age youth in North Dakota do better, but the number of those who are overweight increased from 6.7 percent in 1999 to 9.3 percent in 2003. Obesity-related medical expenditures total an estimated $209 million per year in North Dakota. Medicare and Medicaid pay for approximately half of these costs. This equals $303 per person, which is the third highest in the nation. “Lifestyle changes are the most cost-effective way to improve health and reduce medical costs associated with the metabolic syndrome and other obesity-related chronic disease,” Edwards says. “In fact, lifestyle changes have been found to be more effective than medication in preventing the progression of prediabetes to type 2 diabetes.” Clinical trials indicate that healthy eating and increased physical activity can result in a modest weight loss of 5 percent to 7 percent of body weight and prevent the progression of prediabetes to diabetes. A 5 percent to 7 percent decrease would be a 10- to 15-pound weight loss for someone who weighs 200 pounds. Healthy eating means:
The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests people get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week for basic fitness and up to 60 minutes of physical activity most days to maintain a healthy weight. People who have lost weight and want to keep it off may need 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity most days. “But whatever our present level, just adding some minutes of physical activity each day will help to improve our health,” Edwards says. She also urges people to monitor their health indicators to determine their future risk for developing diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease and take steps to change their daily living patterns. To increase your daily activity level, join the Web-based state walking program that the NDSU Extension Service co-sponsors at www.walknd.com. For more information about making healthy lifestyle choices, visit the NDSU Extension Service Web site at www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/healthy-weight.htm or the National Diabetes Education Program at http://ndep.nih.gov/diabetes/prev/prevention.htm. ### Source:
Jane Edwards, (701) 231-7478, jedwards@ndsuext.nodak.edu |
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