By Eve Kelly | Published Wednesday, July 30, 2008

'It's like my body flipped a switch and started storing fat," lamented my husband Patrick as he stood in front of the mirror. "Ever since I turned 35, the battle of the bulge has turned into a rout. Gut 1, Patrick 0."

My search for a workable solution - Patrick is a tough nut when it comes to diets, though he is exercising more of late and cutting carbs - led me to Dr. George Scheele, a La Jolla resident. Scheele is a medical doctor and nutrition expert.

"Many people today suffer from metabolic syndrome, which occurs as a result of dietary imbalance," said Scheele. "The syndrome is associated with eight degenerative diseases - the first is overweight disorder, then high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar. Then