Kresser: Diabesity

Obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes have reached epidemic proportions. There’s not a person reading this article who isn’t affected by these conditions, either directly or indirectly. Yet as common as these conditions are, few people understand how closely they’re related to one another.
It is now clear that not only do these conditions share the same underlying causes – and thus require the same treatment – they are 100% preventable and, in some cases, entirely reversible.
Because of these similarities, Dr. Francine Kaufman coined the term diabesity (diabesity + obesity) to describe them. Diabesity can be defined as a metabolic dysfunction that ranges from mild blood sugar imbalance to full-fledged type 2 diabetes. Diabesity is a constellation of signs that includes:

• abdominal obesity (i.e. “spare tire” syndrome);
• dyslipidemia (low HDL, high LDL and high triglycerides);
• high blood pressure;
• high blood sugar (fasting above 100 mg/dL, Hb1Ac above 5.5);
• systemic inflammation; and,
• a tendency to form blood clots
• http://chriskresser.com/diabesity

This isn't just a US problem, it is worldwide, and affects an astronomical number of people.  We sell a lot of drugs to a lot of folks to offer treatment of the symptoms.  Strangely, those drugs are totally un-needed - because the disease is a dietary disease, and all of the symptoms can be treated by un-frocking one's diet.  But our government, inexplicably, recommends a diet which does not help with diabesity and for most, makes it worse.  The Brit government has one upped that, and made statins available over the counter.  It sometimes feels like reverso world.