Yes, suggests new research, which found lower reading and math
scores and other measures of cognitive ability among U.S. teens
with the Metabolic Syndrome. What is the Metabolic Syndrome, and
what can we do about it? A new study published in the medical
journal Pediatrics found that overweight or obese teens with the
Metabolic Syndrome "showed significantly lower arithmetic,
spelling, attention, and mental flexibility and a trend for
lower overall intelligence, " reported the New York University
School of Medicine authors.1 What is the Metabolic Syndrome? The
Metabolic Syndrome is a cluster of factors indicating a
dysfunctional metabolism. It is reaching epidemic levels not
only among American adults but children. Government health
surveys estimate that nearly 1 in 10 U.S. teens - and more than
one-third of overweight and obese teens - have the Metabolic
Syndrome.2 Kids with the Metabolic Syndrome have at least three
of these risk factors: - Excessive belly fat - High blood
pressure - High triglyceride levels