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You Can 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. Please check this web site for more information
-> http://treat-breast-cancer.info/
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.
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 shrimp, prawns, scallops, lobster,
and ocean fish; 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 market 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 too 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.
Keith Londrie II is a recognized expert with body fat and obesity.
Please stop by his web site to learn more about
breast cancer. www.treat-breast-cancer.info/
About the Author
Keith Londrie II is a recognized expert with body fat and obesity.
Please stop by his web site to learn more about
breast cancer. www.treat-breast-cancer.info/
.
Keith E. Londrie II
infoserve @ mchsi.com
www.treat-breast-cancer.info/
About Author
Keith Londrie II is a recognized expert with body fat and obesity.
Please stop by his web site to learn more about breast cancer. http://treat-breast-cancer.info/
Keith E. Londrie II infoserve @ mchsi.com http://rc-mini-nitro-gas-electric-cars.info/
Recomended reading: Living
Beyond Breast Cancer: A Survivor's Guide for When Treatment Ends and
the Rest of Your Life Begins
"Breast cancer is never completely over," says author Marisa C. Weiss,
M.D., a radiation oncologist. Even when x-rays are negative and doctors
proclaim remission, breast-cancer survivors often suffer from continued
health problems along with elevated levels of anxiety, and the specter
of recurrence is just a small part of the picture. Living Beyond Breast
Cancer: A Survivor's Guide for When Treatment Ends and the Rest of
Your Life Begins has won endorsements from both Bernie Siegel and
former surgeon general C. Everett Koop. It deftly and with compassion
maps out a guide for going back to a "normal" life: for handling fears
of recurrence and worries that family members will develop breast
cancer and for managing physical posttreatment problems, including
the lingering side effects of radiation, fertility difficulties, changes
in sex drive, and feelings of unattractiveness. Living Beyond Breast
Cancer is comprehensive--at more than 500 pages, it has the room to
thoroughly cover pain control and medication, genetic testing, weight
management, hormone and tamoxifen therapy, alternative treatments
such as traditional Chinese medicine, breast reconstruction, and the
various tests for recurrence, from PET and CAT scans to MRIs and blood
testing for cancer markers. It's also a superb reference for emotional
issues, from depression and generalized anxiety to insecurities about
reentering the job market and revealing the cancer experience to coworkers.
Weiss includes many quotes from breast-cancer survivors, so readers
know they're not alone. The extensive resources and excellent index
add to this book's immense helpfulness.
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