5 Ways to Protect Your Kids Against Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a collection of health conditions that can lead to Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and other serious health problems. It’s a cluster of physical and behavioral risk factors that increases the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and other chronic diseases. Metabolic syndrome can be caused by many things like genetics, poor diet and exercise habits, stress, and other factors.

While there is no cure for metabolic syndrome, it’s possible to slow down the development of the condition in children and teens by:

• Exercising Regularly- A metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that can develop when you have excess body fat, especially around your waistline and abdomen. Excess body fat can clog up your arteries and reduce blood flow, which can lead to cardiovascular disease and stroke.
• Including A Lots of Fruits and Vegetables- People with the metabolic syndrome tend to have a higher risk of being overweight or obese than people without it. This means that they may not be getting enough nutrients from their diet, especially protein, vitamins, and minerals like calcium—to maintain a healthy weight. Getting at least 2 cups of fruit or vegetables every day is essential for keeping your metabolic system working properly.
• Getting Enough Sleep- Each night 7-8 hours of sleep is essential for a healthy metabolism! Your brain needs sleep so it can function properly during the day, but studies have shown that lack of sleep can lead to an increase in insulin resistance and other symptoms of metabolic syndrome over time.
• Limiting Screen Time- Sitting in front of screens can only make a kid addicted, which will draw him away from physical activities or sports. A child must be involved in some kind of physical activity to promote the growth and development of every part of the body. So, screen time should be kept to not more than 2 hours per day.
• Avoiding Tobacco Exposure- This might sound funny, but how can a child be exposed to tobacco or smoke? But passively they can, through the environmental pollution. The pollution can have enough harmful substances that the child can inhale or if there is a human using such substance near him. Make sure your child is away from such exposure at least in the earlier years.

Over To You:
Sometimes it can be hard to remember to do what you know is the right thing when you’re dealing with toddlers who want juice and toys and not much else. So you can follow these to make sure your kids are getting the exercise they need and the nutrition they need—and more importantly, getting enough sleep each day!