Lots of effort has been placed on looking for genetic reasons behind metabolic syndrome, but the studies say only 15 percent is genetic—the rest is environmental. But environment can change genes as well, through a phenomenon called epigenetics. Epigenetics refers to changes in the areas around our genes that can cause them to be turned on or off, usually inappropriately, altering responses to these pathologies, and which over time can result in the development of various diseases.
