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.
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.
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in world female 80% suffer from breast cancer
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