As the obesity epidemic soars across the Western world, our lives are exponentially affected by an increasingly unhealthy public. Whether we struggle with our own weight or witness loved ones do so, chances are we are near and dear to someone who is considered obese. Extra weight is not merely an appearance issue. It affects every aspect of our lives, and studies show obesity to be linked to one of the most feared diseases known to man.
The link between cancer and obesity has been common knowledge for over a decade. According to the most recent 2014 Cancer Progress Research report from the American Association for Cancer Research, obesity ranks second only to smoking as a leading correlating factor in cancer risk.
For an individual to be considered obese, they must have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or greater. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, over 30 percent of Americans are considered obese. If the trend continues, it’s possible for half the population to be obese by 2030. This gives our society a unique battle to wage against our own waistlines, the causes of obesity, and the factors that contribute to disease.
Extra weight contributes to a number of health-related concerns, but the National Cancer Institute reports nearly 84,000 cancer cases related to obesity each year. To top off the terrifying correlation, obesity can also hinder treatment effectiveness. As treatments are studied and implemented, developers can’t be certain how treatments will affect those carrying more weight than others.
Also, due to elevated ill-health-related possibilities and potential self-image issues associated with seeking treatment, obese patients with cancer may have more difficulty diagnosing the condition. Their weight may not only contribute to increased risk but may also delay timely treatment.
Obesity is shown to be most related to colorectal cancer, post-menopausal breast cancer, and cancers of the endometrium, kidney, gallbladder, and thyroid. Research also displays links between obesity and cancers of the liver, cervix, myeloma, and Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Contributing factors that relate to higher cancer risks are:
Excess estrogen is produced by fat tissue. High levels of estrogen have been linked to higher risks of breast, endometrial, and other cancers.
Often times overweight people have increased levels of insulin. Elevated insulin is shown to promote tumors.
Hormones produced by fat cells may affect the rate of cell growth. Leptin, more common in obese people, is shown to inspire excessive cell growth. The hormone adiponectin, less likely in obese people, may hinder cell growth.
People with excessive weight issues typically struggle with increased levels of inflammation. Increased inflammation is shown to boost the likelihood of numerous disease-causing conditions, including cancer.
Considering these alarming statistics, losing weight and improving overall health can decrease cancer risk. If you or a loved one is obese, it’s time to see past limits on the path to improved wellness. With the possibility of greater cancer risk looming above and beyond other motivational weight loss aspects, take the time now to protect yourself, improve your health, and encourage your loved ones to do so also.
Here are life-saving tips to implement today:
Consult a medical professional and nutritionist to discuss a diet and exercise routine. Open additional dialogue regarding causes of obesity and realistic paths to overcome the condition.
Eliminate processed foods and refined carbohydrates from your diet.
Undertake a relaxation/wellness routine. Take time for yourself. Incorporate meditation into your daily life.
Gain professional mental health support to work through possible emotional causes of overeating.
In conclusion, the link between obesity and cancer demands urgent attention as the obesity epidemic continues to affect lives across the Western world. With obesity ranking second only to smoking as a leading factor in cancer risk, the implications are profound. The current statistics, indicating over 30 percent of Americans are obese and projections of further escalation, underscore the pressing need for action. Approximately 84,000 cancer cases each year are directly related to obesity, with potential hindrances to treatment effectiveness and diagnosis in obese patients. Colorectal cancer, post-menopausal breast cancer, and several other cancer types are closely associated with excess weight. Understanding the contributing factors amplifying cancer risks, such as hormonal imbalances and inflammation, is vital. However, there is hope in prevention, as embracing weight loss and overall health improvement can reduce cancer risk. Seeking professional guidance, adopting healthier lifestyles, and supporting mental health are essential steps in this battle. Together, we can confront the challenge of obesity and its cancer-related consequences, paving the way for a healthier and cancer-free future.
Obesity is the second leading cause of death after smoking. It is associated with an increased mortality rate of all ages including children. Losing weight though commercialized is still to your benefit if you carry more weight than you should.
Obesity and overweight are term often used interchangeably. However, technically they refer to two different states.
Being overweight technically means excess body mass. This includes all the body tissues. Obesity on the other hand refers explicitly to excess body fat e.g. a professional heavy weight body builder is overweight because of excess muscles but is not obese.
Obesity is what should concern you. Losing weight is no longer an issue you can afford to procrastinate, and probably a good health scare is in order.
Reason #1 to lose weight
Diabetes:- It is well known that 80 -90% of type-two-diabetes patients are overweight. Diabetes is the third leading cause of death in the U.S., as well as the leading cause of adult blindness in the world. One of the direct causes of obesity is eating wrong foods. Some of these wrong foods include high glycemic foods. High glycemic foods are energy dense foods that quickly increase the level of blood glucose in your body after been eaten. This results to the body reserving the unnecessarily high glucose/energy into fat. This makes losing weight very difficult.
Releasing a hormone called insulin does this. Type-Two-diabetes occurs because the body cannot produce enough insulin to remove the excess blood glucose and store it as body fat. This will occur after straining insulin production for some time. And that’s how you end up being fat and diabetic.
Reason #2 to lose weight
Stroke:- Obesity is associated with arteriosclerosis, the build up of fatty deposits in the arteries through out your body. This makes them narrow slowing blood flow and among other things increases risk of the blood clotting. Arteries at risk include those supplying blood to the brain. If clotting occurs due to narrowed artery, it blocks blood supply to an area of the brain resulting to stroke. Losing weight reduces this risk.
Reason #3 to lose weight
Cancer:- The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates between 25% – 33% of cancer world wide are overweight and physical inactivity related. Body fat evidently promotes higher levels of insulin production and excess estoregens, a hormone. Both insulin and estorogens accelerate cell division.
[Probably to create adipose tissue; new fat cells to store fat, in addition to the regular cell division]
As research has indicated, the faster cells duplicate the more they increase chances of a cancerous cell developing. The situation is further complicated as the rapid cell division caused by the excess hormones lead also to rapid cell reproduction of the one cancerous cell, hence cancer starts to develop actively. In addition fat cells tend to keep carcinogenic i.e. cancer-causing agents, trapped in the body which increases chances of developing cancer.
Types of cancers you will be at high risk to get include:-
Breast cancer- affecting the breast possibly in both men and women.
Colorectal cancer- affecting colon and rectum.
Prostrate cancer- affecting the prostrate gland in men.
Endometrial cancer- affecting the uterus.
Esophageal cancer- affecting the esophagus.
Renal cell cancer, the cancer of the kidney, etc.
Reason #4 to lose weight
Respiratory problems:- Obesity causes lungs to “become smaller” in size and chest wall become heavier to lift in the process of breathing in. The most common respiratory problem is sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition where by an individual stops breathing for some time while asleep. A soft tissue in the throat collapses around the air way probably due to weight, blocking it. For the severely obese sleep apnea may get more complicated with hypoventilation. Hypoventilation is accumulation of toxic levels of carbon dioxide (the gas we breathe out) in the blood, due to inadequate breathing. Losing weight would be the only permanent safe and healthy solution to sleep apnea.
Reason #5 to lose weight
Urinary Incontinence:- This is involuntary release of urine. Being overweight can contribute to urinary incontinence. A heavy abdomen due to body fat deposit may cause valve of urinary bladder to be weakened. The weight also exerts pressure on the urinary bladder, trying to push urine out. This results to leakage of urine when coughing, sneezing or laughing. This is because of a slight relaxation of the bladder valve that normally will not result to leakage. It can even result to bed wetting at night. This particular problem can be a very effective motivator to lose weight.
Reason #6 to lose weight
Varicose veins:- Also known as Venous Stratis Disease. The leg and thigh muscles assist the heart in blood circulation just like most large muscles in the body. They are involved in pumping blood against gravity back to the heart with the help of valves that close to avoid a backward flow. Pressure as a result of a large abdomen may increase the work load on the valves eventually causing damage. Damaged valves then allow for blood to back up, due to gravity, causing high pressure in these veins leading to swelling, thickening of skin and skin ulcers.
Reason #7 to lose weight
High Blood Pressure:- The BMI (Body Mass Index) and age together are the strongest indicator of risk of hypertension or high blood pressure. At least a third of hypertension is related to obesity.
Reason #8 to lose weight
Other Diseases:- Other diseases which MAY occur as a result of being overweight include;
Gout
Coronary heart disease
Lower back pains
Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Gall stones
Pregnancy disorders such as
Neural tube defect,
Prenatal mortality,
Maternal hypertension,
Gestational diabetes etc.
Impaired immune response
Liver disease
Pancreatitis
Bad body smell
Depression
Research shows that even modest weight loss of even 10 pound for the overweight significantly reduces the risk of developing these diseases. Weight loss is in fact a challenge taken by many every year.
Unfortunately many fail in this healthy endeavor. And all because of one thing; they lack proper information on effective weight loss. Effective weight loss is permanent, and a permanent weight loss depends fundamentally on four factors. These four are what we at Health-eMark call the ‘Top 4 Reasons for Weight Loss Failure’.
A problem all over the world, especially in developed nations, obesity is regarded as a sort of silent epidemic that results in a whole lot of health issues. Similarly, a large number of people suffer from diabetes, which is also considered somewhat to be a compulsive killer. Combine both and you have a deadly malady in hand! Yes. It is true. Although all obese people needn’t contract diabetes and nor is it a must that all diabetic people turn out to be obese, people who are overweight are at a bigger risk of contracting diabetes, especially the type-2 variety.
Here are some of the possible symptoms of Type 2 diabetes:
Distorted vision Itchy, dry skin Many infections Slow wound and bruise healing Often urinating More thirst unintentional weight loss Fatigue and weakness Tingling or numbness in the hands, legs, or feet
Diabetes Infographic of symptoms
So, let us find out how exactly these two dreaded lifestyle diseases are related. Obesity or a condition of surplus body weight essentially involves having excess body fat and increases the risk of acquiring type-2 diabetes, which affects the body’s insulin managing capacity. Basically, being obese increases the risk of contracting type-2 diabetes because the more weight we put on, the more our body becomes resistant to the insulin that is produced naturally. When the body loses weight, it becomes more capable to manage the insulin produced and starts functioning in a better manner. This truly points out the fact that a fatal link exists between obesity and diabetes.
Many doctors these days recommend their obese patients cut down on body weight so as to minimize their risk of contracting type -2 diabetes and other illnesses that are associated with obesity like heart disease, hypertension, etc. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has recommended weight loss as a measure to lower elevated blood glucose levels in obese patients with type-2 diabetes. Based on various clinical tests and other procedures, this report clearly states a connection between a decrease in abdominal fat and improved glucose tolerance in overweight people.
Avoid a high sugar intake
Relevant studies have also proved the fact that not only does losing weight result in preventing obese people scale the heights of diabetes, but it also reverses any damage caused to the insulin-producing cells in the body. Therefore, treatment for diabetes becomes challenging in that the root cause of the disease, which is obesity, needs to be targeted first.
Obesity can be best treated through proper diet and exercise. Other than genetic causes, one often finds that right from childhood the person has been on an improper diet, and in combination with negative physical activity, the overweight person gradually moves on to a point of high obesity. This needs to be looked into initially where the patient has to strictly monitor what he eats. Avoiding processed and fried foods totally and cutting down on artificial sugar can help to a certain extent. Eat a balanced diet filled with the goodness of wholegrain, fruits, and vegetables as per your dietician’s or doctor’s advice.
Type 2 Diabetes and BMI (Overweight)
Your risk of type 2 diabetes is influenced by what you eat and drink throughout the day as well as how active you are. You are far more likely to acquire type 2 diabetes if you are “overweight” (BMI of 25 to 29.9), obese (BMI of 30-39.9), or severely obese (BMI of 40 or above). Your muscle and tissue cells become more resistant to your own insulin hormone the more extra weight you carry. You can use our BMI calculator here.
Diet alone is not enough to combat obesity and the various problems that come with it. You need a suitable exercise plan, which should be done regularly and consistently. It is best that you get advice from a concerned professional in this regard and sort out your ‘weighty issues’ at the earliest.
Obesity has become a potential health hazard for people all over the world and what is alarming is that children too have joined this dangerous trend. Childhood obesity is considered to be more of an epidemic in various parts of the world and brings along with it a variety of other diseases ranging from hypertension to type II diabetes, not to mention psychological problems as well.
Awareness, in this regard, is to be first created among parents. Most parents are of the opinion that a fat child is a healthy one too. They close their eyes to the double chin and protruding tummy of the child and consider it mere ‘puppy fat’. Ultimately, this reaches a stage where the child starts developing health issues, and only then do parents react.
What are the reasons which contribute to unhealthy weight gain in children? It is seen that faulty dietary habits which start early in life are responsible to a large extent for this unhealthy trend. Children grow up on processed food stuffs which are high in salt, fat, sugar, etc often emulating their parents who are the actual culprits in this matter. Irregular eating habits like snacking frequently and eating more than what is required also contribute to this dangerous trend.
Lack of physical activity is also a reason for the growing rates of childhood obesity. Children are more interested in sitting in front of the television or computer rather than sweating it out in the playground. There is no strenuous activity in their life to burn off extra calories and this also causes the child to become fat and unhealthy. Inactivity is most certainly a lifestyle issue that causes a whole lot of trouble.
Obesity is also caused due to emotional disturbances in the child. Adverse situations at home, school, etc may upset the child to a great extent. Not being able to handle such negative emotions, such children sometimes find comfort in food, a trend that leads to obesity. Genetic factors are also responsible for obesity in children to a certain extent. But these can be effectively controlled to a large extent by proper dietary and lifestyle changes.
Childhood obesity can be brought under control by taking timely help and advice from professionals in this field. But the most important way of combating this malady would be to correct and control the child’s eating habits and encourage the child to get involved in physical activities.
Restrict or limit the child’s intake of processed foods that impart negative calories and instead, encourage the child to eat more natural food stuffs with limited fat content. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and various other healthy options should be introduced into the child’s diet so as to get the benefit of proper nutrients. The child should also be encouraged to play outdoor games so that he remains fit physically too.
Childhood obesity is certainly a social problem these days, but with the right guidance, our youngsters can grow up to be healthy adults who will not be ashamed of their bodies.
I’m sure you have pondered this question, for it is no secret that we all tend to put on a few pounds during this magical time of year! For many of us across the globe, it is a tradition to ring in the New Year with our belts loosened and seams bursting. Read on for 5 reasons why it is so easy to gain weight during the month of December, and what you can do to avoid them!…
REASON #1: Have Yourself a Merry Little Eggnog
What tastes better on a cold December day than a mug of Hot Cocoa, Spiced Apple Cider, or Rich Eggnog? The holidays are filled with occasions for us to congregate and indulge in calorie-packed beverages. An average glass of Eggnog packs over 340 calories and close to 20 grams of fat! Drinking just 10 glasses of Eggnog during the month of December will result in a 1 lb weight gain! This year steer clear of calorie-filled beverages and stick to drinking water.
REASON #2: Deck The Halls with Boughs of Finger Food
You can see it now, the appetizer table at your Holiday Party! Mountains of fried finger foods, plates filled with rich cheeses, colorful deviled eggs, and best of all, the selection of gourmet sausage. Mingling with friends turns to circle the finger foods, grazing like it is his last meal. This year take a plate and fill it once. No seconds, thirds, fourths…you get the idea.
REASON #3: Here Comes Santa Claus – And He’s Bringing Cookies
People love to give gifts around the holidays and many of these gifts are edible! Who doesn’t enjoy receiving homemade fudge or fruitcake from their Aunt Gertrude? The problem lies in our attempt to eat ALL of the edible holiday offerings before it is time to take down the tree. Enjoy edible gifts in moderation, and don’t overeat simply because the food is available.
REASON #4: All I Want for Christmas is My Sweet Tooth
Gingerbread cookies, spiced cakes, and truffles are all abundant during the month of December. Far too abundant! Limit your sweet tooth to a couple of sugar selections each week and save yourself from the extra, empty calories!
REASON #5: Away in a Manger, No Time for the Gym Shopping, wrapping, baking, gatherings…and you want me to go to the gym?
The holidays are the easiest time to put off working out. Sweating in the gym almost seems masochistic when your other option is to be curled up in front of the Christmas tree with a plate of cookies in your lap! This year factor your workouts into your schedule and stick to it. Make sure that at a minimum you are still getting a cardiovascular workout 3 times a week. Take time to integrate these tips into your busy December schedule, and I am sure that you will be thanking yourself to come to the New Year!
I wish you all Happy Holidays!
Diana Keuilian, author, ACE-certified Personal Trainer, and co-founder of HitechTrainer.com offers online personal training and nutrition programs that fit your budget and schedule.
In today’s world health is a major issue or concern. More and more people are becoming health conscious and are looking for means to get a perfectly built body. This has led to the opening of many commercial institutions that aid in reducing weight and training purposes. Also there large supply of different miracle pills and gadgets in the market that claim to reduce weight and help you in developing 6-pack abs in less than three weeks. While these methods are unproven, weight loss is still very beneficial to the human body…
There are ample benefits to burning up those extra calories. Here are some examples. Cardiovascular diseases and strokes are probably the topmost reason for death and disability among many men and women. It is essential that you have a balanced weight in order to prevent the onset of many hazardous diseases like cardiovascular disease and strokes. Otherwise, it might become quite impossible to regulate blood pressure.
Reducing weight also helps you to prevent the onset of diabetes. However, it is only the second type of diabetes that can be controlled by staying fit with a healthy diet and maintaining optimum sugar levels. Nonetheless, prevention is better than cure.
The risk of cancer is worrying and distressing majority of people especially overweight people, since studies reveal that they are more prone to cancer than people having normal weight. It is therefore essential to maintain normal body weight and reduce the amount of cholesterol content in the body, to minimize the chances of cancer.
Losing weight helps you avoid conditions like sleep apnea, a state where a person temporarily stops breathing. He continues to snore after that. It causes you to be drowsy and sleepy all day long. This has some serious consequences like heart failure. The pain caused by osteoarthritis can be reduced greatly if your weight is optimum, otherwise, the pain might cause you to have headaches. Decreasing your overall weight takes some pressure off your joints and knees which might get heavily strained if you are overweight. If your knees and joints are pressurized then you are more prone to weakness in the joints and arthritis.
The fastest remedies for many lower back problems are that you reduce your weight as soon as possible. Now that your back has to handle less weight it will take up much strain off your lower spine. The same happens when you strengthen the abdominal muscles. When you have good abdominals you will automatically have a straight posture taking strain off your back again.
Recent surveys prove that running and exercising on a regular basis lessen your stress levels and also can facilitate you to deal with difficulty in a better way. Also, a healthy diet filled with nutrition from all the food groups is very beneficial. This amplifies your work efficiency to assist you in earning even more money and confidence in general. It will help you to lead a healthy long life.
