Paradoxical

Hmmm. I'm not sure what to think of this report.

DALLAS — Exposure to cigarette smoke raises the risk among teens of metabolic syndrome, a disorder associated with excess belly fat that increases the chances of heart disease, stroke and diabetes, according to a study.

Researchers said it is the first study to establish such a link in teenagers.

"The bottom line to me is: As we gear up to take on this epidemic of obesity, we cannot abandon protecting our children from secondhand smoke and smoking," said lead author Dr. Michael Weitzman, executive director of the American Academy of Pediatrics Center for Child Health Research in Rochester, N.Y.

For the study, metabolic syndrome was defined as having at least three of five characteristics: a big waist, high blood pressure, high levels of blood fats called triglycerides, low levels of good cholesterol, and evidence of insulin resistance, in which the body cannot efficiently use insulin.

As much as I want to believe this, I'm going to have to call "technobabble psuedo-science crap" on this. I know plenty of people with belly fat who didn't smoke as teenagers. I have belly fat, and I had one cigar as a teenager. My dad is a pretty "robust" individual, didn't smoke. I've got plenty of friends who are non-smokers who have belly fat and don't smoke.

"Metabolic syndrome"? You're kidding, right? If you want me to put any stock in your study, try coming up with a real disease name that a history major can decipher and see through.