Let us create a 3D eBook for you!
Let us create a 3d Digital eBook for you! DigyCat.com

Can You Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer?


We hear it all the time?lose weight for your health. Few people however, realize the extent to which this is critical to their physical well-being and ultimately their life expectancy.

In January 2003, the Journal of the American Medical Association featured a study finding that obesity appears to lessen life expectancy, especially among young adults. The researchers compared Body-Mass Index (BMI) to longevity and found a correlation between premature death and higher BMIs. For example, a 20-year-old white male, 5'10" weighing 288 pounds with a BMI of greater than 40 was estimated to lose 13 years of his life as a result of obesity.Jamie McManus, M.D., F.A.A.F.P. and author of "Your Personal Guide to Wellness" notes that while this study referenced extreme levels of obesity, there are still millions of overweight people in developed countries with a life expectancy rate that is three to five years less than their healthy-weight counterparts. She also estimates that there are 600,000 obesity related deaths each year in America.

Just how does obesity shorten our lifespan? The answer to this question is complex, yet there is a clear link between obesity and the development of cancer. An extensive study conducted by the American Cancer Institute involving 750,000 people showed that obesity significantly increased the risk of cancer developing in the following organs: breast, colon, ovaries, uterus, pancreas, kidneys and gallbladder.

Michael Thun, MD, vice-president of epidemiology and surveillance research for the American Cancer Society (ACS) says one reason obesity may raise cancer risk is because fat cells produce a form of estrogen called estradiol that promotes rapid division of cells, increasing chances of a random genetic error while cells are replicating, which can lead to cancer. In addition, fat centered around the abdomen may increase insulin and insulin-like growth factors in the blood, which may increase cancer risk.

"Women who are obese after menopause have a 50% higher relative risk of breast cancer," notes Thun, "and obese men have a 40% higher relative risk of colon cancer?. Gallbladder and endometrial cancer risks are five times higher for obese individuals".There is evidence that cancer rates in developed countries are increasing at 5 to 15 times faster than developing countries. A major contributor to this alarming reality has proven to be diet. In populations where the diet consists mostly of fresh fruit and vegetables and whole grains - in contrast to the typical Western diet of fatty meats, refined flours, oils and sugars - the risk of cancer is much lower.

The interaction of diet and the development of cancer is an active field of research and Dr David Heber, M.D., Ph.D. and author of "What Color is Your Diet", says "It appears that diet has its most significant effects after the cancer has already formed, acting to inhibit or stimulate the growth of that cancer". At the risk of oversimplifying a complex set of interactions, the typical Western diet that leads to obesity may actually act to stimulate the growth of cancer cells.It is never too late to improve your health through healthful eating and adopting a more health-giving lifestyle. Here are simple steps to follow which can make an immediate improvement to your health and vitality.

1. Check your Body Mass Index (BMI) to determine if weight has become health risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60% of Americans are overweight, defined as having a BMI (a ratio of height to weight) over 25. Of those, nearly half (27%) qualify as obese, with a body mass index of 30 or more. In 1980, just 15% of Americans were considered obese. You can check your BMI at the website below.

2. Match your diet to your body's requirements. If you eat and drink more calories than your body requires you will put on weight. Learn to control calories and portion sizes, make recipes leaner, and eat infrequently from fast food restaurants. Also learn how to snack with healthful choices.

3. Color your diet with a large variety of colorful, cancer-fighting fruit and vegetables. There are seven different color ranges of both fruit and vegetables and by choosing between 5 to 9 daily serves from a wide range of fruit and vegetables, we are extending our consumption of cancer (and other disease) fighting nutrients.

4. Eat lean protein with every meal. Protein provides a powerful signal to the brain providing a longer sense of fullness. The right source of protein is essential to controlling your hunger with fewer calories and necessary to maintain your lean muscle mass. Choices of protein should be flavored soy shakes with fruit; the white meat of chicken and turkey, seafood such as shrimps, prawns scallops and lobster and ocean fish or vegetarians may prefer soy based meat substitutes.

5. Rev up your metabolism with activity. If you want to enjoy a lifetime of well-being, exercise is a key ingredient. Colleen Doyle, MS, RD, director of nutrition and physical activity for the American Cancer Society (ACS), says adults should do something for 30 minutes each day that takes as much effort as a brisk walk. Children should be active for an hour each day. We are more likely to develop habits around things we enjoy, so seek activities which you enjoy doing. It is also helpful to build physical activity into your daily routine: use the stairs instead of the escalator or lift at work, park your car in the parking bay furthest from the super marketing and don't use the remote control to change TV channels.

6. Get support to ensure you develop a healthful eating plan and reach your goal weight. Whilst a small percentage of people possess the discipline to lose weight, many obese people have developed strong thoughts and habits concerning the food they eat. In order to establish new habits, most people respond well to some form of consistent encouragement and coaching. A study, "Effects of Internet Behavioral Counseling on Weight Loss in Adults at Risk of Type 2 Diabetes" shows that participants who had the support of weight loss coaching lost more weight than those who didn't. The study concluded that the support of a weight loss coach can significantly improve weight loss results.

Being overweight or obese has been identified next to smoking, as the most preventable major risk to developing cancer. Even small weight losses have been shown to have beneficial health effects. So it's never to late to start and you can never be too young or too old to be concerned about your health and do something about achieving a more healthy weight.

(c) Copyright by Kim Beardsmore

Kim Beardsmore enjoys the flexibility of working from home. Are you interested in earning money from home? We're looking for individuals who have basic phone and internet skills to join our team of work-at-home-ers. If you're serious about earning money from home and are willing to work (this isn't 'get rich quick'), then we'd like to help you grow a profitable business. We offer complete training, online and offline resources and a partnership for success. http://free2liv.com/?refid=EA-567883373


MORE RESOURCES:

Breast Cancer - Google News

Clinical Trial For Overweight Breast Cancer Survivors - W*USA 9


Clinical Trial For Overweight Breast Cancer Survivors
W*USA 9
How much a women exercises and how much she weighs could determine her risk factors for breast cancer. But among breast cancer survivors, ...

and more »

Maine breast cancer patients benefit from Patient Navigator - WCSH-TV


Maine breast cancer patients benefit from Patient Navigator
WCSH-TV
But many breast cancer patients in Maine are significantly more at ease, thanks to a Patient Navigator program. Kathleen Shannon explains in her Buddy to ...

and more »

Cervical cancer stalking women in Kolkata - Times of India


Cervical cancer stalking women in Kolkata
Times of India
The study indicates that many of these cases have the potential to develop into full-blown cervical cancer. Cervical and breast cancer patients together ...

and more »

Cancer society calls on the Hudson Valley - Hudson Valley Press


Cancer society calls on the Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley Press
This year, to mark the 15 th anniversary of the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, the American Cancer Society encourages Hudson Valley residents to ...

and more »

When celebrities "Stand Up To Cancer", the results can be mixed - MedPage Today (blog)


House To Home

When celebrities "Stand Up To Cancer", the results can be mixed
MedPage Today (blog)
With regard to Ms. Newton-John's statement, no one said that we should ignore decades of cancer research and increased breast cancer awareness. ...
Charity premiere promotes cancer awarenessAsiaOne
Millet's sea of pink supports breast cancerWetaskiwin Times Advertiser
The Methodist Hospital Names Prominent Physician, Researcher as Director of ...Newswise (press release)
UPI.com -KHTS Radio -Housatonic Times
all 48 news articles »

College, Cancer and a Double Mastectomy: All Before My 22nd Birthday - FOXNews


The Survivors Club

College, Cancer and a Double Mastectomy: All Before My 22nd Birthday
FOXNews
My breast cancer ordeal couldn't be further behind me. There is no worse feeling than not being in control of your health, to be helpless in the decision of ...
Frank Fling Survived Male Breast CancerThe Survivors Club

all 2 news articles »

Michaels ordered to pay $8 million to manager fired after breast cancer diagnosis - Dallas Morning News


Michaels ordered to pay $8 million to manager fired after breast cancer diagnosis
Dallas Morning News
Kara Jorud, 47, was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2008 and had a double mastectomy the following month. She was undergoing chemotherapy when she was ...
If you're seriously ill, know your rights as an employeeTCPalm

all 12 news articles »

How Jaime King Helped Create a Somehow Funny PSA About Cancer - Seattle Post Intelligencer


How Jaime King Helped Create a Somehow Funny PSA About Cancer
Seattle Post Intelligencer
My writing partner, Taryn Southern, and I had written some really funny, edgy scripts for PSAs about fighting breast cancer. ... Our first PSA for Touch a ...

and more »

Health Buzz: 'Magic Mushrooms' May Ease End-of-Life Anxiety in Cancer Patients - U.S. News & World Report


msnbc.com

Health Buzz: 'Magic Mushrooms' May Ease End-of-Life Anxiety in Cancer Patients
U.S. News & World Report
None of the 247 women in the study who had preventive mastectomies developed breast cancer during three years of follow-up, while 7 percent of the 1372 ...
Psilocybin found to ease end-of-life anxiety in small study of patients with ...Scientific American (blog)
Magic mushroom improves mood and controls anxiety in cancer patientsHealthy Living

all 266 news articles »

Yoplait(R) Announces Expanded Commitment to Breast Cancer Cause by Raising the ... - MarketWatch (press release)

DietRight Domain Is For Sale - $10,000 For Enquiries eMail Us

© www.DietRight.biz 2010

home | site map | links

 

eXTReMe Tracker