Heart disease, diabetes more prevalent with western diet

Who doesn't love a cheeseburger, Philly cheese steak or a slice of pizza ala Windy City? A new study shows that engaging in the typical western-style diet -- that is, pizza, burgers, sodas and fried foods -- can lead to a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Although this is something many of us have heard before, the findings should remind us of something: over and over again, subjecting oneself to a strict western diet all the time can have dire health consequences. Even China, which is seeing more of its population eating a western-style diet, is seeing negative health effects.

Dr. Lyn Steffen indicated that eating two hamburger patties and one diet soda per day can "substantially" boost one's risk of developing metabolic syndrome. This happens when three of the following five factors are present: a large waistline, elevated blood pressure, elevated fasting blood sugar, elevated fasting triglycerides, or reduced levels of good (HDL) cholesterol.

Although dumping burgers, fries, pizza, soda and fried foods in general would be impossible for some, limiting your intake of them would be a prudent idea based on this new research -- and the multitude of related stories before it.