Is your job killing you?

Our jobs have become our identities and what we do has become the major parameter of our success in life. We are more of human ‘doings’ than human ‘beings’ these days. The emphasis is so much on the material success that we devote our selves completely to our jobs at the cost of our own health. The endless calls and emails take away most of our day and the first thing which we give up on is our time for exercise and meal timings are ignored. Yes, work is an important aspect of our lives but have you ever wondered years of sedentary desk job and mindless eating can create havoc in our lives when we hit 40. The cases of diabetes, BP and other heart ailments are being diagnosed at even younger ages. It’s time we became aware of the term ‘Metabolic Syndrome’ which is a medical condition that warns us before we have full blown diabetes or heart problem.

What is ‘Metabolic Syndrome’ (MS)? In simple terms it is a cluster of conditions that increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Metabolic syndrome occurs when a person has three or more of the following measurements:

• Abdominal obesity (Waist circumference of greater than 40 inches in men, and greater than 35 inches in women)

• Triglyceride level of 150 milligrams per decilitre of blood (mg/dL) or greater

• HDL cholesterol of less than 40 mg/dL in men or less than 50 mg/dL in women

• Systolic blood pressure (top number) of 130 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or greater, or diastolic blood pressure (bottom number) of 85 mm Hg or greater

• Fasting glucose of 100 mg/dL or greater.

Obesity (especially central obesity) and insulin resistance are main causes of developing MS. Numerous studies done recently in Indian population show a rise in the incidence of MS. Urban population is more prone to developing MS as compared to rural population as per the studies. Isn’t this because of obvious reasons that we in cities are less active, more stressed, eat more processed food and face more pollution.

India soon may become the diabetes capital of the world. MS is just the warning sign before the full blown onset of the disease. So if we are aware of the dangers lurking in the corner shouldn’t we be more active and eat mindfully to prevent these lifestyle related disease. Simple measures like exercising daily and eating mindfully with discipline can keep our weight down and our lipid profile within normal range. Exercise of moderate intensity (walking, recreational sports, swimming etc.) 150 min per week or 75 min of vigorous activity (weight training, professional training for sports etc.) per week is good enough to keep you fit.

As far as eating right is concerned following are the simple rules to keep the weight in control:

• eating at regular meal timings without any distraction of TV or any other gadgets

• early dinners

• eating fresh foods and avoiding processed/ packaged foods

You don’t need to starve yourself or be on a special diet to keep the we

ight in control. Standard Indian diet of dal, roti, veg, rice, curd, salads and fresh fruits is complete and healthy if prepared the right way. Just save the fried foods and desserts for festivals and you’ll be fit as a fiddle.

So next time you skip your walk/ gym session for that all important client call or have a late night dinner because of the last few emails which kept you late in the office ask yourself – Is my job killing me?? Remember the words someone correctly said 'you are killing yourself for a job that would replace you within a week if you dropped dead. So take care of yourself'!

#metabolicsyndrome #exerciseanddiet