Category Archives: Metabolic Syndrome

Waist-To-Hip Ratio: How To Measure It

Posted on December 14, 2013 by Robert Barrington

The body mass index (BMI) is frequently used by the medical establishment to assess cardiovascular disease risk because it is unintrusive and quick. However, studies show that the waist-to-hip ratio is a more accurate predictor of cardiovascular disease risk, despite … Continue reading →

Posted in Abdominal Obesity, Body Mass Index (BMI), Cardiovascular Disease, Metabolic Syndrome, Waist to Hip Ratio | Tagged , | Comments Off on Waist-To-Hip Ratio: How To Measure It

High Quality Diets Prevent Disease

Posted on December 14, 2013 by Robert Barrington

High quality diets are those that contain the essential nutrients required by an individual for correct metabolic function. In addition, high quality diets must be absent of metabolic poisons such as sugar and other fructose containing molecules, and possess high … Continue reading →

Posted in Cardiovascular Disease, Fibre, Mediterranean Diet, Metabolic Syndrome, Obesity, Okinawan Diet, Syndrome X, Traditional Diets, Waist to Hip Ratio, Weight Loss, Western Diet, Whole Grains | Tagged | Comments Off on High Quality Diets Prevent Disease

Soft Drinks: Another Study, More Bad News

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Regular readers of this blog will be aware of the detrimental effects that soft drink consumption has on health (here, here, here and here). Sugar sweetened soft drinks are damaging because of the presence of fructose either in the form … Continue reading →

Posted in Abdominal Obesity, Aspartame, Cardiovascular Disease, Fructose, Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, Soft Drinks, Stroke, Sucrose | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Soft Drinks: Another Study, More Bad News

Central Adiposity: Harbinger of Doom

Posted on December 1, 2013 by Robert Barrington

The body mass index (BMI) is the current accepted medical technique for assessing the degree to which a subject is overweight, and by extrapolation their risk of cardiovascular disease. The Worlds Health Organisation (WHO) has BMI classifications for normal weight, … Continue reading →

Posted in Abdominal Obesity, Adipose Tissue, Body Fat, Children, Fructose, Glycaemic Index, Glycaemic load, Insulin, Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, Obesity | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Central Adiposity: Harbinger of Doom

Skimmed Milk: Refined Junk?

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Currently it is believed by many that obesity is caused by a positive energy balance. The solution we are told is to restrict energy intake through dieting, or increase energy expenditure through exercise. However, the ‘eat-too-much, do-too-little’ mantra of weight … Continue reading →

Posted in Abdominal Obesity, Cardiovascular Disease, Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), Metabolic Syndrome, Milk | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Skimmed Milk: Refined Junk?

Forced Calorie Restriction: More Evidence of Metabolic Damage

Posted on November 16, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Forced Calorie restrictive diets that attempt to coerce the body into accepting a lower level of fat mass are dangerous and do not work. That they cause metabolic damage is well evidenced in the scientific literature. Such dietary regimens are … Continue reading →

Posted in Abdominal Obesity, Insulin Resistance, Leptin, Metabolic Syndrome, Obesity, Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), Thermic Effect of Food (TEF), Weight Loss | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Forced Calorie Restriction: More Evidence of Metabolic Damage

Fructose and Ethanol: Brothers in Disease

Posted on November 12, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Research suggests that moderate intakes of ethanol in the form of wine, beer, cider, spirits or other alcoholic drinks are beneficial to the health. Although their polyphenol content has been shown to contribute a certain degree of this protective effect, … Continue reading →

Posted in Fructose, Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Obesity, Weight Loss | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Fructose and Ethanol: Brothers in Disease

Fish Oil Fights Inflammation

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Obesity is a symptom of the metabolic syndrome, which in turn is caused by low quality diets containing high amounts of fructose. High fructose intakes are deleterious to metabolic regulation because they induce insulin resistance in hepatocytes and skeletal muscle. … Continue reading →

Posted in Abdominal Obesity, Adiponectin, Adipose Tissue, Cardiovascular Disease, Docosahexaenoic Acid, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Fish Oils, Fructose, Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Obesity | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Fish Oil Fights Inflammation

Is Stress Making you Fat?

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Obesity is complex and not fully understood. However, recent advances in the nutritional sciences have shown that the ‘eat-too-much, do-too-little’ paradigm of weight gain is erroneous. The new paradigm suggests that abdominal obesity is the result of overloading the liver … Continue reading →

Posted in Brain, Cortisol, Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, Obesity, Stress | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Is Stress Making you Fat?

Palmitoleic Acid: de Novo Lipogenesis Marker?

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Robert Barrington

High intakes of fructose in the absence of adequate fibre are known to cause liver overload which stimulates the hepatic de novo lipogenesis pathway. Palmitic acid (PA, C16:0) is a 16 carbon saturated fatty acid that is the end product … Continue reading →

Posted in Abdominal Obesity, Adiponectin, Cardiovascular Disease, de Novo Lipogenesis, Fructose, Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, Retinol Binding Protein 4 (RBP-4), Saturated Fatty Acids | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Palmitoleic Acid: de Novo Lipogenesis Marker?