What is metabolic syndrome, a little-known illness that many French people suffer from?

Jean has been living with type 2 diabetes for 20 years. At the age of 65, this administrative assistant also suffers from several other health problems. All of his problems are caused by a combination of biochemical and physiological disorders. In medicine, this phenomenon is called metabolic syndrome .

It is a series of health problems caused mostly by excess fat around the abdomen which leads to poor body metabolism.

"I have fatty liver, I have spots that appear on my body when I have too much sugar," exasperated Jean, who went to consult Evelyne Bourdua Roy, a Canadian doctor and specialist in metabolic health.

"There are five criteria: waist size, low good cholesterol, high triglyceride levels, blood pressure, and high blood sugar or insulin levels," explains Metabolic Health.

According to the specialist, a person must have "at least three of these criteria" to have metabolic syndrome. Having this syndrome increases the chances of diabetes , but also of heart disease or even stroke.

To avoid this series of health problems, organic nutritionist Marion Kaplan recommends a healthy diet, with fewer carbohydrates and sugars. "We need to change and eat like our great-grandmothers," she assures.

Cutting out soda, eating smaller, unprocessed foods, cutting out desserts, and avoiding carbohydrates in the morning... Several pieces of advice were offered during Jean's medical session.

For people suffering from metabolic syndrome, the expert recommends intermittent fasting to lower blood insulin levels.

In France, 22.5% of men have a prevalence of metabolic syndrome compared to 18.5% of women, according to a study coordinated by the World Health Organization, published by the French Federation of Cardiology .