Beverly had always been quite active and eaten relatively healthily, she never had to worry about her weight. 

But things changed when Beverly’s father had a stroke and he lost the ability to look after himself. Beverly’s life changed as she took care of her father 24 hours a day. She was so busy taking care of her father that she forgot to take care of herself.

For the first few months after the stroke, Beverly didn’t do any kind of activity or exercise "I felt like I needed to be with my father all the time. He has done so much for me over the years I felt it was my duty to spend every waking hour with him to help try and nurse him back to health. When my father was resting, I would need to sleep when I guess I could have been going for a walk or doing some manner of exercise," Beverly says. And her eating habits changed. "I went from eating relatively healthy foods to choosing high-calorie fast foods and snacking rather than eating three meals a day with fresh fruit and vegetables."

Over time, Beverly gained 25 pounds, and much of the weight she put on was around her waist. On her next visit to her doctor for her annual check-up she also found out that her cholesterol and blood sugar levels were higher than normal.

"My doctor told me I had developed a number of the health problems related to metabolic syndrome. I had never heard of metabolic syndrome before and now I know about it I realise how common it is and how easy it can be to develop it. My doctor told me that I was at a greater risk for developing metabolic syndrome if I didn't make some lifestyle changes. He also told me how a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome would mean a higher risk for developing more serious health problems such as heart disease or diabetes."

Beverly knew she needed to become more active and eat more healthily. "I started to go on some walks again, and even started running. It was hard at first, but I started slowly and worked up to walking 30 to 45 minutes most days of the week. I’ve even just entered a 5K park run," she says. "I also made changes to my diet. Rather than choosing fast foods I try and eat fresh fruit and vegetables and find time to cook at home where I can still look after my father.”

These changes have helped Beverly lose weight and lower her cholesterol and blood sugar levels, avoiding a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome. They have also given her more energy to care for her father.