Relationships among Metabolic Syndrome, Eating Quickly, and Oral Status in the Workplace

Abstract

 Eating quickly is known to be a risk factor for metabolic syndrome (MetS). Recent studies have reported that MetS is also related to the oral status, including the number of missing and decayed teeth. However, few studies have addressed the relationships among MetS, eating quickly, and the oral status. The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate the relationships among the onset of MetS, eating quickly, and oral status in the workplace. Of the employees of a particular company who underwent general examination in both 2012 and 2015, 114 males (36-63 years old) who had not been diagnosed with MetS in 2012 were included. The data analyzed included the height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose level, triglyceride level, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, oral status, and lifestyle (eating quickly, dietary habits, regular physical activity, drinking habit, and smoking habit). Based on the results in 2015, the participants were divided into MetS and non-MetS groups. The chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used for statistical analysis. In the MetS group (n= 16), all participants reported eating quickly. Furthermore, an excessive waist circumference had a cumulative effect with eating quickly on the onset of MetS. In conclusion, workers who reported eating quickly and an excessive waist circumference had a high risk of developing MetS. On the other hand, there was no relationship between MetS and the oral status.