Cancer and Weightloss

If you need another reason to be motivated, here it is.  (Story from BBC News)

 

Be thin to cut cancer, study says

Even those who are not overweight should slim down if they want to cut their risk of cancer, a major international study has claimed.

The World Cancer Research Fund carried out the largest ever inquiry into lifestyle and cancer, and issued several stark recommendations.

They include not gaining weight as an adult, avoiding sugary drinks and alcohol, and not eating bacon or ham.

Everyone must also aim to be as thin as possible without becoming underweight.

People with a Body Mass Index (BMI), a calculation which takes into account height and weight, of between 18.5 and 25, are deemed to be within a "healthy" weight range.

 

 Cancer is not a fate, it is a matter of risk, and you can adjust those risks by how you behave. It is very important that people feel that they are in control of what they do
Professor Martin Wiseman
Report author

But the study says their risk increases as they head towards the 25 mark, and that everyone should try to be as close to the lower end as possible.

There is no new research involved in this document: the panel examined 7,000 existing studies over five years.

The result, they say, is the most comprehensive investigation ever into the risks of certain lifestyle choices.

 

 RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE: Limit red meat Limit alcohol Avoid bacon, ham, and other processed meats No sugary drinks No weight gain after 21 Exercise everyday Breastfeed children Do not take dietary supplements to cut cancer

They see body fat as a key factor in the development of cancer, estimating its significance to be much higher than previously thought.

The report's authors say they have produced a list of recommendations, not "commandments".

"But if people are interested in reducing their cancer risk, then following the recommendations is the way to do it," said Professor Martin Wiseman.

"Cancer is not a fate, it is a matter of risk, and you can adjust those risks by how you behave. It is very important that people feel that they are in control of what they do."

Making cuts

However two thirds of cancer cases are not thought to be related to lifestyle, and there is little people can do to prevent the disease in these circumstances.

Nevertheless, over 3 million cases of the 10 million cases of cancer which are diagnosed across the world each year could be prevented if the recommendations were followed, Professor Wiseman indicated.

 

 The main message I would have is not to worry about it, to enjoy life, if you like a glass of wine have it, and a small amount of meat is not going to harm you
Karol Sikora
Cancer specialist In the UK alone, there are 200,000 new cases of cancer each year.

Cancers of the colon and breast are some of the most common forms of the disease, and the report says the evidence is "convincing" that body fat plays a key role in the development of these tumours.

The report also links the kind of food consumed to cancers, especially colorectal ones.

In particular, researchers say people should stop eating processed meats, such as ham, bacon and salami, and limit the consumption of red meat to 500g a week - although this still means you could eat for instance five hamburgers each week.

From a cancer perspective, all alcohol should be avoided, although researchers accepted drinking small amounts could have protective benefits for other diseases.

The recommendation is therefore no more than two drinks a day for a man, and no more than one for a woman, slightly less than current UK government guidelines.

Sugary drinks meanwhile should be avoided, as these make you fat, and fruit juice consumption should also be reduced.

The report is also the first to urge breastfeeding as a means to protect against cancer, arguing that it may reduce breast cancer in the mother and prevent obesity in the child - although this has not been proven.

Commenting ahead of the report's release, cancer specialist Professor Karol Sikora said: "There's absolutely nothing magic about 10 bullet points to prevent cancer.

"The main message I would have is not to worry about it, to enjoy life, if you like a glass of wine have it, and a small amount of meat is not going to harm you."

 

Story from BBC NEWS:

This is an interesting article.  I am all for lowering risks, however, as the wife of a cancer survivor (who is 27 and was diagnosed at 22) I know that we have to be realistic.  My husband was an athlete, healthy, and young.  Never touched alcohol and never picked up a cigarette.  There are some things that are just not in our control!  Good balanced article...

I am also the wife of a cancer survivor, although my husband is less than 6 months out of treatment. I am always watching and reading anything and everything on lifestyle changes to increase his long term survival and hit that magical 5 years where he'll be considered cured.

I watched a segment on the Today show this morning on how obesity is fast approaching cigarettes as a primary cause of cancer. I think the one thing that shocked me was that research shows that anything more than 18 ounces of red meat per week increases the risks significantly. I know people that ingest that much in one day! What an eye-opener. Fortunately we eat very little meat of any kind due to my husbands inability to swallow it because of the texture.

Great post! Thanks!

Original Post by jamie822:

This is an interesting article. I am all for lowering risks, however, as the wife of a cancer survivor (who is 27 and was diagnosed at 22) I know that we have to be realistic. My husband was an athlete, healthy, and young. Never touched alcohol and never picked up a cigarette. There are some things that are just not in our control! Good balanced article...

 How wonderful that your husband pulled through.  You really have no way of knowing when a bus or some horrible ailment will just up and knock you out.  I'm 38, have gotten my weight pretty much under control, haven't smoked in years, but I sure as hell would not take my life for granted.  My younger brother had a heart attack at 31!  We grew up eating the same crapola (my mom now makes the excuse that "nobody knew any better in the 70s and 80s", which is BS, but blaming her wouldn't help anything.  I'm just glad my kids are growing up eating MUCH better than I ever did.  I never even had a salad until I was about 12 years old, at a friend's house!

Here we go. I am a wife of a survivor. at the age of 32, my husband after being sick for a year. was FINNALY diagnosed with Cancer. we did Chemo and radiaton over the course of a year. we are now 10 months out.... with a scare. we are going through more testing after an ICKY CT. so....

My hubby rode his bicicle EVERY DAY to and from work and home and back for his lunch. He was in his PEAK of fitness. He was only 178 pounds. Than all the sudden he dropped weight had strep mono and his blood work was all over the place. SICK, Sick, sick,.... he droped in weight to 150 and was still fit. but we foudn the cancer. beind his breast bone. it was the size of four baseballs. I know there are always ecceptions to the rules. I would think that you can't go off everything they say. some people no matter how they eat how fit they are. what ever happens,.... cancer find them.

 

Original Post by cruebug2002:

Here we go. I am a wife of a survivor. at the age of 32, my husband after being sick for a year. was FINNALY diagnosed with Cancer. we did Chemo and radiaton over the course of a year. we are now 10 months out.... with a scare. we are going through more testing after an ICKY CT. so....

My hubby rode his bicicle EVERY DAY to and from work and home and back for his lunch. He was in his PEAK of fitness. He was only 178 pounds. Than all the sudden he dropped weight had strep mono and his blood work was all over the place. SICK, Sick, sick,.... he droped in weight to 150 and was still fit. but we foudn the cancer. beind his breast bone. it was the size of four baseballs. I know there are always ecceptions to the rules. I would think that you can't go off everything they say. some people no matter how they eat how fit they are. what ever happens,.... cancer find them.

 True enough that we can never take life for granted because diseae can pick you off any time it wants to, so we have to make the most of the time we have.   HOWEVER, the long-term benefits of calorie restriction and keeping one's weight down, as well as not smoking and moderation with alcohol, have been proven without a doubt.  It's not just the risk of cancer that is lowered, it's heart disease, stroke, heart attack, diabetes, alzheimer's, skin conditions like psoriasis, and any number of other ailments that are exacerbated or directly caused by overweight and obesity that can be prevented with a lifestyle change.  I don't think that it can be emphasized too much.  I think that the more cognizant one is of their mortality, the more they should naturally want to extend their lives and the quality of their lives by dietary changes, so that they can do and achieve more of what they want in this life.  Giving in to obesity is giving up the gift of life - a slow form of suicide and a seductive trap I hope nobody else falls into.  I fell into it for several years - I felt depressed at the loss of my youth and the weight of responsibility of two kids and for several years let my weight balloon, drank too much on weekends, and started to look horrible.  My quality of life suffered because I was 100 lbs above my ideal weight, with ankle pain, GERD, less mobility, no energy, etc.  But with calorie tracking, and now daily exercise, I feel 1000X better, and am so glad to be doing this, and wouldn't regret the change even if I found out I had cancer next year.  I can go to my kids' school functions now, knowing that they don't have to be embarrassed to have a dad who looks slovenly and severely overweight.  I want them to be able to be proud of me, the way I was proud of my mom and dad.  I thought they were the most handsome and beautiful couple in the world when I was a kid.