The Weigh We Were

Ever think that being overweight could lead to cancer?

New study strengthens obesity-cancer link

Obesity has again been linked to an increased risk of cancer, findings that constitute yet another building block in the wall of pressure being built around the food industry. The latest study found that the fatter women become in their adult lives, the higher their risk of developing breast cancer. Published in the July 1 2006 issue of Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study confirms previous findings that obesity increases the risk of breast cancer, while also examining the risk specific to certain types of breast cancer. Researchers led by Dr Heather Spencer Feigelson examined the connection between weight gain and type of invasive breast cancer among 44,161 postmenopausal women. Their findings revealed that the greater the weight gain, the greater the risk for all types, stages and grades of breast cancer, particularly advanced malignancies. Breast cancer risk is linked to increased levels of circulating estrogen hormones. And because fat tissue increases the levels of estrogen, obesity has been shown to play a significant role in increasing the risk for this disease. The latest study revealed that compared to women who gained 20 pounds or less during adulthood, women who gained over 60 pounds were almost twice as likely to develop certain types of tumors. And the most extremely obese women were up to three times more likely to develop regional or distant metastases than women with less weight gain. “These data further illustrate the relationship between adult weight gain and breast cancer, and the importance of maintaining a healthy body weight throughout adulthood,” said Dr Feigelson. The findings add to the growing evidence that suggests that overall cancer incidence and mortality resulting from overweight and obesity is increasing, potentially thwarting other prevention and treatment efforts aimed at reducing these dire statistics. Other cancers that have been linked to obesity include cancers of the colon, stomach, kidney and esophagus. Last year, a number of academic studies presented at the AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research provided further worrying reading for the food industry, while presenting regulators with yet another headache. And a report published in The Lancet in November (vol 366, no 9499), estimated that 35 per cent of the 7 million deaths from cancer in 2001 were caused by a lifestyle that could have been changed, and drew attention to nine modifiable risk factors. In this instance, the researchers from Harvard University based their findings on a comprehensive review of scientific studies and other sources such as government reports. Courtesy of

Weight gain on women's hips and thighs

Here is an interesting article on unusual weight gain in women. This article provided by MSNBC:

Q: I haven’t changed my eating or exercise habits. So why am I putting on weight — and in all the wrong places?

A: Blame it on female hormones.

To begin, women have a higher body-fat percentage than men — 22 to 28 percent, versus 15 to 20 percent. This process begins during puberty, when estrogen levels rise.

In addition, if you have been pregnant, placental hormones increase your appetite and foster fat accumulation. This provides nutrition for the developing fetus and allows for the production of breast milk (which contains 50 percent fat).

And it doesn’t end there. Beyond your reproductive years, you are likely to keep gaining weight, partly because there is a four to five percent decrease in your metabolic rate every decade. There’s also a decrease in energy-using muscle cells and an accompanying accumulation of not-so-attractive fat cells.

All this adds up — the average American women gains 0.8 lbs a year between 25 and 50. That adds up to a hefty 20 lbs.

Where that fat goes also changes. Our shapes evolve from stylish pears into dumpy apples. Fat gets deposited under the abdominal wall and — voila — your waistline disappears.

An overabundance of this “visceral fat” is medically dangerous. It leads to changes in glucose processing and increases insulin resistance. This sets women on the road to all sorts of ailments — type II diabetes, heart disease, cancer, gall-bladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea.

What to do? The only ways to lose weight permanently are to burn more calories or take in fewer (or, better yet, a combination of the two). How you go about this is a matter of choice, depending on taste, economics and common sense.

Bear in mind: It takes time to gain weight, so give yourself time to lose it. Aim for no more than two pounds a week.

For long-term weight loss, my advice is not to go on an Atkins-style diet, which is unhealthily high in protein and saturated fat. You can use it for a jump start, but limit it to three months.

This type of diet omits complex carbohydrates, which are important for health. (Women who consume lots of fruits and vegetables are less likely to get obese than those who don’t.) Too much protein leads to osteoporosis and kidney damage, and too much saturated fat may indeed saturate your heart with fat.

When it comes to exercise, you should be doing both aerobic exercise and weight-resistance exercise. (On March 23, during our weeklong “Slow Your Clock Down” series, we will be talking about an exercise program.)

You need not sweat to burn calories, nor do you need a gym. Fun activities like ballroom dancing, biking swimming and golf will do it. But you a have to carry your clubs!

As the weather clears, everyone should be able to do energetic walking. In bad weather, hit the mall. Consider this example: A 200-lb woman who walks a brisk 1.5 miles every day (without changing her eating patterns) will lose about 15 lbs in a year.

And many exercises requires little concentration or focus -- I do the treadmill in front of the tv or while watching a video.

Dr. Reichman’s Bottom Line: Think positively -- little things add up to big results. Every time you don’t eat a sundae, every time you go for a walk with Fido (or, in my case, with Lucy), remind yourself how glad -- and fit -- you will feel tomorrow.

Dr. Judith Reichman, a regular “Today” show contributor, has practiced obstetrics and gynecology for more than 20 years. Her latest book, "Slow Your Clock Down: The Complete Guide to a Healthy, Younger You," is published this month by William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins.

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