Arjun Sharma is an IT professional in his mid-40s, working in Bangalore. He used to play squash and tennis but in the last few years the long hours at work have made it difficult for him to play a sport regularly. In the last five years he had put on 20kg, and his wife insisted he get a full medical check-up in December.
His medical reports showed his blood sugar levels were too high, the HDL (high-density lipoprotein or good cholesterol) levels were too low and the triglycerides were too high. The doctor diagnosed him with Metabolic Syndrome and said he was in danger of developing diabetes and/or cardiovascular heart disease if he didnt lose at least 20kg. Sharma, who weighed 85kg, immediately joined a gym and started working out regularly for an hour every day. He also started eating home-cooked food so he could have a healthy diet low in fat and rich in fresh vegetables. In a year he lost over 15kg and his blood report after the weight loss showed blood sugar, HDL and triglyceride levels were normal. The doctor told him he should get his blood test done every year, but as long as he stayed on course with his exercise and diet, and didnt regain the weight, there should be no cause for concern.
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Sujata Kelkar Shetty, PhD, writes on public health issues
and is a research scientist trained at the National Institutes of
Health in Bethesda, US.