Metabolic syndrome warning
One in three people aged 35 and over - or 12 million people - in Thailand are facing an emerging health threat known as "metabolic syndrome", the Public Health Ministry warned yesterday.
A recent survey showed that 30 per cent of the population over 35 had this disease, nutritionist Sa-nga Damaphong, who is a spokesman at the ministry, said.More women than men had the disease, he said, adding about half the women in this age range had the syndrome, whereas only 21 per cent of men in the same age range were afflicted. Metabolic syndrome is characterised by increased abdominal fat, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high cholesterol, he said. The incidence of high blood pressure and blood sugar among people of these ages, for example, were about 34 per cent and 30 per cent, respectively, Sa-nga said. These two conditions were usually associated with problems with blood vessels which lead to heart disease, he said. The major factors that raise the risk of the disease include having a bad diet and little physical activity, he said, adding that Thais were increasingly influenced by the unhealthy lifestyles of many people in the western world. To tackle this rising health threat, he said the ministry, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation and the Nutrition Association of Thailand plan to carry out a mass campaign to raise public awareness of the disease and how to prevent it.
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