Oftentimes, it’s assumed that maintaining a healthy body weight is an indication that you are in good health. While that is indeed one factor that most doctors look at when evaluating your overall condition, it can be deceiving. A healthy body weight and BMI is an important component to good health, but even those who fall into the “normal” category can be prone to metabolic health related risks.
What Are Metabolic Risk Factors?
Metabolism refers to the chemical transformations within your body that keep it running as it is designed. Those with metabolic risk factors are more prone to colon cancer and heart disease, even when keeping a healthy body weight. A patient with metabolic syndrome may have three or more of the following health conditions: high blood pressure, high triglycerides, low blood sugar, low HDL cholesterol, or a large waist measurement. A new study has shown a 49% increased risk for cancers occurring in the colon, rectum, and sigmoid colon (the lower part of the intestine) among patients with these metabolic conditions. In addition, your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke also increases with the more risk factors you may have. According to one of the authors of the study out of Beijing Normal University in China, roughly 30% of adults within a normal weight range are believed to be metabolically unhealthy.
How Can GI Associates Help?
These findings indicate that it might be time for you to start keeping track of metabolic factors and stop looking at just one or two indicators in order to determine if you’re in good health. The team at GI Associates is here to help you keep track of all of those factors and put you on the right course to living a healthy lifestyle, potentially reducing your risk of certain types of cancers or heart disease. So it’s time to take hold of your health, stop just relying on your weight and BMI, and make sure that your metabolism is running your body as it is intended. You can make an appointment with one of our doctors here.
Share
