Lose Weight to Reduce Your Risk for Certain Cancers

Having unhealthy proportions of body fat and an abnormally high percentage of body fat is a condition known as obesity.

Obesity has been linked with increased risks of the person developing different types of cancer, such as:

• Colon and rectum cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Breast cancer (after menopause)
• Thyroid cancer
• Gallbladder cancer

In the U.S. alone, there are about 34,000 new cases of cancer among men and 50,500 cases of cancer among women linked directly to obesity. These numbers are rising as the U.S.’s obesity levels have reached epidemic levels, increasing the chances of people getting cancer. If obesity is not dealt with, then by 2030 half a million additional cases of cancer will be reported, according to estimates. If obese individuals lose weight, their chances of developing cancer will decrease.

For every pound lost, the chances of cancer are reduced. Doctors everywhere advise people who are overweight to start working out and paying attention to what they are eating. They recommend that overweight people start with normal walking for at least 45 to 60 minutes a day. By reducing their caloric intake and doing light physical activity, they can lose a pound a week, which is the healthiest way of losing weight.

• Due to the high amount of fat tissue in overweight people, there is an excess of estrogen in the body. Such high levels have been associated with endometrial and breast cancer.
• The high fat percentage also adds to increased levels of insulin in the blood. This promotes the development of certain types of tumors. Fat cells also affect the tumor growth regulators inside the body.
• These fat cells produce a hormone called adipokines, which inhibits cell growth.
• Being overweight or obese also contributes to the person having chronically low levels of inflammation, which has also been linked to increased chances of cancer.

It is vital that you make an effort to lose weight in order to reduce your chances of cancer. This is especially true for women, as they are more prone to breast cancer if overweight, especially after menopause. The first step is to ensure that you incorporate a healthy diet with exercise into your daily routine. Not many people lose weight with exercise alone, so it is important to combine dietary changes with a workout plan to see the results you want and reduce your risk of cancer.