This document summarizes a study that tested a 10-week lifestyle program focusing on increased fruit and vegetable consumption and exercise for reducing metabolic syndrome. The study found that participants who increased their fruit and vegetable intake to 6 servings per day and exercised 3 times per week saw significantly reduced waist circumference, weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and a 24% reduction in metabolic syndrome incidence. In contrast, a group that only received general dietary and exercise advice saw no health improvements and a 6% rise in metabolic syndrome. The study demonstrates that modest lifestyle changes can meaningfully reduce metabolic syndrome risks within 10 weeks.

1. A Simple 10-Week Lifestyle Plan
Can Help to Cut Risk for Premature
Death from Cardiovascular Disease,
Diabetes and Stroke
Mark Dreher, PhD

2. Background:
- Metabolic syndrome is a serious health condition that affects about 25-35 percent of
adults in western countries. It places them at higher risk of cardiovascular disease,
diabetes, stroke and diseases related to fatty build-ups in artery walls. The underlying
controllable causes of metabolic syndrome are obesity, being overweight, and physical
inactivity.
- With the combination of these risk factors together, the chances for future
cardiovascular problems are greater than any one factor presenting alone. For
example, high blood pressure alone is a serious condition, but when combined with
high fasting glucose levels, abdominal obesity, and low high density lipoproteins (HDL-
C) the risk increases several fold.
- Thus metabolic syndrome increases the risk of premature death, therefore, effective
and affordable strategies to control the syndrome would benefit the population at risk.
Lifestyle modification focusing on improving dietary quality and physical activity is the
preferred first-line step for the management of metabolic syndrome. However,
attempts to modify lifestyle to improve dietary quality and physical fitness are often
unsuccessful due to low compliance.

3. Research:
Study Design: Dr. Mecca and colleagues* studied the effectiveness of a 10-week lifestyle changing
program focusing on supervised exercise and nutritional counseling for reducing indicators for
metabolic syndrome. Participants of the lifestyle changing program included 50 obese men and
women in São Paulo, Brazil who were divided in two groups: (1) a general education group who were
given one session of dietary and physical activity counseling and (2) a high fiber nutrition group who
increasing their servings of fruits and vegetables from 2 to 6 per day (30g dietary fiber /day) along
with weekly dietary counseling and physical activity three times a week.
Results: The fruit and vegetable fiber group participants had significantly greater reductions for waist
circumference (-5.0% ), weight (-4.1%), BMI (-4.0%), body fat mass (-3.6), blood pressure systolic (-
15.5%), diastolic (-9.5%), triglycerides and low density lipoprotein (-7%) and an increase in high
density lipoproteins (+10%) over the 10-week study period. Also, this group showed a 24%
reduction in metabolic syndrome incidence. However, the general education group showed a 6%
increase in metabolic syndrome with no significant improvements in health measures.
* Mecca MS, et al. Ten-week lifestyle changing program reduces several indicators for metabolic syndrome in
overweight adults. Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome 2012; 4:1-26.

4. Key Take-away from the Mecca Study:
Thus, a short-term lifestyle change plan including high dietary fiber
from increased fruit and vegetables and exercise at least three times
a week suggest that decreases in body weight and fat composition,
blood pressure, and plasma lipid concentrations leading to reduced
metabolic syndrome incidence and risk of premature death from
cardiovascular disease, diabetes and stroke is doable within a
relatively short time period.
The challenge is that in the US, only 11% of the population meets
the daily guidelines for both fruit and vegetable consumption. To
reach the 6 servings as consumed in this study, aim to fill half your
plate with vegetables or fruit at both lunch and dinner. Also, snack
on whole fruit or vegetables, such as an apple or a carrot.
Stay in touch with Mark Dreher PhD (Mark L Dreher PhD) for nutrition and lifestyle research reports to
help promote your health.