Breast cancer and Obesity

In 2001, experts concluded that cancers of the colon, breast (postmenopausal), endometrium (the lining of the uterus), kidney, and esophagus are associated with obesity. Some studies have also reported links between obesity and cancers of the gallbladder, ovaries, and pancreas .

Obesity and physical inactivity may account for 25 to 30 percent of several major cancers—colon, breast (postmenopausal), endometrial, kidney, and cancer of the esophagus.
Overweight, obesity, and weight gain are potent risk factors for breast cancer in postmenopausal women. What’s more, obesity at the time of a breast cancer diagnosis is usually associated with a poorer prognosis in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

Of greater concern is that weight gain is common among breast cancer survivors. Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee, who looked at weight change in more than 4,500 women 18 months after a breast cancer diagnosis, discovered that 61% gained as much as 11 pounds.

It’s thought that elevated blood estrogen levels and an increased production of estrogen in fat tissue is the manner in which excess body weight promotes the development and redevelopment of breast cancer
Preventing weight gain can reduce the risk of many cancers. Experts recommend that people establish habits of healthy eating and physical activity early in life to prevent overweight and obesity. Those who are already overweight or obese are advised to avoid additional weight gain, and to lose weight through a low-calorie diet and exercise. Even a weight loss of only 5 to 10 percent of total weight can provide health benefits

Posted in: Cancer