A culturally appropriate diet and lifestyle intervention can successfully treat the components of metabolic syndrome in female Pakistani immigrants residing in Melbourne, Australia

This study was designed to test the effectiveness of a culturally appropriate diet and lifestyle intervention to treat metabolic syndrome in female Pakistani immigrants residing in Melbourne, Australia. Forty Pakistani women with metabolic syndrome (aged 20-50 years) completed a 12-week culturally appropriate diet and exercise program. Results indicate that, before intervention, participants were sedentary, taking 4000 ± 22.6 steps per day, and had an obese-classified body mass index (BMI) of 29.2 ± 0.46 kg/m2 (BMI was categorized in accordance with guidelines specifically designed for Asians) and high waist circumference of 132 ± 25.95 cm. Participants were hypertensive (systolic, 135 ± 1.3 mm Hg; diastolic, 86 ± 0.68 mm Hg), were dyslipidemic (total cholesterol, 6.8 ± 0.15 mmol/L; triglycerides, 2.9 ± 0.09 mmol/L), and had elevated blood glucose (6.4 ± 0.33 mmol/L) and fasting blood insulin (45 ± 6.3 μU/mL) levels. After the 12-week culturally appropriate intervention, activity increased (8600 ± 596.7 steps per day, P < .05); and BMI (27.8 ± 0.45 kg/m2), blood pressure (systolic, 125 ± 1.4 mm Hg; diastolic, 80 ± 0.6 mm Hg), cholesterol (5.5 ± 0.1 mmol/L), blood glucose (5.9 ± 0.33 mmol/L), and blood insulin (24.14 ± 1.8 μU/mL) levels were all significantly reduced (P < .05). This study revealed that the Pakistani female migrants who had metabolic syndrome and its components can successfully be treated via a culturally appropriate diet and lifestyle intervention. The success of the current program raises the possibility that other high-risk ethnic groups can also be treated with a culturally appropriate program.