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Obesity
takes a huge toll on health, and a new British study finds
that obese women have a 40 percent higher risk for cancer
than thinner women. Overall, the Cancer Research UK study
found that obese women have about a one in four risk of
developing a weight-related cancer in their lifetime. Those
include cancers of the bowel, gallbladder, uterus, kidney,
pancreas and esophagus, as well as post-menopausal breast
cancers. Among obese British women, 274 in every 1,000 will
develop a weight-associated cancer in their lifetime,
compared with 194 in 1,000 healthy weight women, the study
found. There are a number of possible ways that obesity can
increase cancer risk in women, including one that's linked
to fat cells' production of hormones, especially estrogen,
which is believed to fuel cancer development, according to
Cancer Research UK. However, everyone can lower their risk
by trimming their waistline, one expert said. "Lifestyle
changes -- like not smoking, keeping a healthy weight,
eating a healthy diet and cutting back on alcohol -- are the
big opportunities for us all to personally reduce our cancer
risk," head of health information at Cancer Research UK,
said. "Making these changes is not a guarantee against
cancer, but it stacks the odds in our favor," she added.
"Losing weight isn't easy, but you don't have to join a gym
and run miles every day or give up your favorite food
forever," she said. "Just making small changes that you can
maintain in the long term can have a real impact." Some of
those small changes: "Try getting off the bus a stop earlier
and cutting down on fatty and sugary foods," she said.
"Losing weight takes time, so gradually build on these to
achieve a healthier lifestyle that you can maintain. And
find out about local services, which can provide help and
support to make lifestyle changes over the long term," she
suggested. "We know that our cancer risk depends on a
combination of our genes, our environment and other aspects
of our lives, many of which we can control," she added. |