Obesity Linked to Ovarian Cancer
Do you need another reason to get up and get moving? Well, researchers have now linked obesity to ovarian cancer. Obese older women who have never taken postmenopausal hormones are almost at double the risk of developing ovarian cancer when compared to their normal weight peers. It is thought that the increase is partly due to the increased estrogen produced by fat cells of the body.
Researchers at the National Cancer Institute published this study in February’s Cancer journal.
The study looked at 9,525 women ages 50-71. Over a seven year period, 303 developed ovarian cancer. The women who were obese and had never used hormone therapy and had a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or more, were 1.83 times more likely to have developed the cancer than women of normal weight.
Obesity did not play a role if the woman had a family history of the disease.
Oral Contraceptive use and having had children are associated with decreased risk of ovarian cancer, while family history and hormone therapy use are associated with an increased risk.
This study will not be the last word on this topic but it gives us one more reason to get healthy and lose weight.
Over two-thirds of adult Americans are overweight. The American Academy of Family Physicians recommend moderate-intensity aerobic activity(i.e. brisk walk) at least 30-60 minutes 5 times per week, or vigorous-intensity aerobic activity (e.g. jogging) for 20 minutes or longer 3 times per week. Resistance or weight training is recommended twice per week.
At least half of us Americans are not getting adequate physical activity which contributes to the increasing rates of obesity, chronic illness and cancer.