I have a page on The Dangers of a Big Waistline.
Forty-four percent of U.S. adults 50 and over have metabolic syndrome, a cluster of interrelated health issues that increases risk for heart attack, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. It also raises the risk of poor immune function and severe disease due to viral infections. The good news is, metabolic syndrome can be reversed, according to the Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter.
Metabolic Syndrome: A large waistline, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high fasting blood sugar are all part of metabolic syndrome (see Metabolic Risk Factors for more information).An astounding 88 percent of U.S. adults age 20 and older have at least one of these conditions. Each component on its own increases risk for health problems, but together, risk is even greater.
Health Secrets of a SuperAger 