How to Halve Your Risk Of Breast Cancer

We hear it all the time...lose weight for your health. However, few people realize how crucial it is to their physical well-being and ultimately their life expectancy. In January 2003, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study that found obesity appears to reduce life expectancy, especially among young adults. Researchers compared Body-Mass Index (BMI) with longevity and found a correlation between early death and higher BMI. For example, a 20-year-old white male, 5'10” weighing 288 pounds with a BMI greater than 40, is estimated to lose 13 years of life due to obesity. Jamie McManus, M.D., F.A.A.F.P. and the author of "Your Personal Guide to Wellness" notes that although this study referred to extreme levels of obesity, there are still millions of overweight people in developed countries whose life expectancy is three to five years shorter than their healthy weight counterparts . It also estimates that 600,000 obesity-related deaths occur in America each year. How does obesity shorten our lives? The answer to this question is complex, but there is a clear link between obesity and the development of cancer. A large study conducted by the American Cancer Institute involving 750,000 people showed that obesity significantly increases the risk of developing cancer in the following organs: breast, colon, ovary, uterus, pancreas, kidney and gallbladder. Michael Thun, MD, vice president of epidemiology and surveillance research for the American Cancer Society (ACS), says that one reason obesity may increase cancer risk is that fat cells produce a form of estrogen called estradiol, which promotes rapid cell division. thereby increasing the likelihood of developing cancer. a random genetic error in cell replication that can lead to cancer. In addition, fat concentrated around the abdomen can increase the level of insulin and insulin-like growth factors in the blood, which can increase the risk of cancer. “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… The risk of gallbladder and endometrial cancer is five times higher in obese individuals. There is evidence that the incidence of cancer in developed countries is increasing 5 to 15 times faster than in developing countries. It turns out that diet is a major contributor to this alarming reality. In populations where the diet consists mainly of fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains – as opposed 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 cancer development is an active area of ​​research and Dr. David Heber, M.D., Ph.D. and the author of "What's Your Diet" says: "Diet seems to have the most significant effects after the cancer has already formed, acting to inhibit or stimulate its growth." 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's never too late to improve your health by eating healthy and adopting a healthier lifestyle. . Here are simple steps to follow that can instantly improve your health and vitality. 1. Check your body mass index (BMI) to see if your weight has become a health risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60% of Americans are overweight, defined as a BMI (height-to-weight ratio) of more than 25. Of those, nearly half (27%) qualify as obese and have a body mass index of 30 or more. In 1980, only 15% of Americans were considered obese. You can check your BMI on the website below. 2. Adapt your diet to your body's needs. If you eat and drink more calories than your body needs, you will gain weight. Learn to control calories and portion sizes, prepare leaner recipes, and rarely eat at fast food restaurants. Also, learn to eat healthy foods.3. Color your diet with lots of colorful fruits and vegetables that fight cancer. There are seven different colored rows of fruits and vegetables, and by choosing between 5 to 9 daily servings of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, we increase our consumption of cancer (and other disease) fighting nutrients. 4. Eat lean protein with every meal. Protein provides a strong signal to the brain and provides a longer feeling of fullness. The right source of protein is essential for controlling your hunger with fewer calories and essential for maintaining lean muscle mass. Protein choices should be flavored with soy shakes with fruit; white meat chicken and turkey, seafood such as shrimp, prawns, clams and lobster, and marine fish or vegetarians may prefer soy-based meat substitutes. 5. Start your metabolism with activity. If you want to enjoy a lifetime of well-being, exercise is a key component. Colleen Doyle, MS, RD, director of nutrition and physical activity for the American Cancer Society (ACS), says adults should spend 30 minutes each day doing something as strenuous as brisk walking. Children should be active for an hour every day. We tend to form habits around things we enjoy, so look for activities you enjoy doing. It is also useful to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine: use the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator at work, park your car in the parking space farthest from the supermarket and do not use the remote control to change TV channels. 6. Get support to create a healthy eating plan and reach your goal weight. While a small percentage of people have the discipline to lose weight, many obese people have developed strong thoughts and habits about the food they eat. To form new habits, most people respond well to some form of consistent encouragement and coaching. The study, "Effect of Internet-Based Behavioral Counseling on Weight Loss in Adults at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes," shows that participants who received weight loss coaching support lost more weight than those who did not. The study concluded that the support of a weight loss coach can significantly improve weight loss results. Along with smoking, being overweight or obese has been identified as a major preventable cancer risk. Even small weight losses have been shown to have beneficial health effects. So it's never too late to start, and you're never too young or too old to take care of your health and do something to achieve a healthier weight.