[Metabolic syndrome of the young adult: what should alert the family doctor?].

The epidemic prevalence of obesity and its related metabolic disorders (e.g.: diabetes, metabolic syndrome) represents a challenge for next upcoming years, for caregivers and for the health care system globally. Early prevention strategies for type 2 diabetes have been studied and their efficacy has been proven. Moreover there is emerging evidence that childhood obesity is associated with previous exposition to fetal hyperglycemia. Prevention of metabolic troubles may thus consist not only in an early intervention for lifestyle modifications, but also in an effort to identify conditions, such as Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, that seems to have a strong impact on the metabolic imprinting in the future generation.