| Obesity and Cancer Connection
It is not surprising that gaining too much weight and being obese can predispose a person to a number of health diseases. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes are on top of the list. But did you know that obesity is also linked to cancer? According to American Cancer Society, more than 90,000 deaths in the US due to cancer each year could have been prevented if only people can maintain a healthy weight.
How obesity can cause cancer is still open for further studies and research but one way that obesity can increase the risk of having cancer is by causing the body to produce higher levels of hormones such as estrogen and insulin. These hormones are vital to our health but too much of them can stimulate cancer growth. For example, estrogen is an important hormone especially in the female’s reproductive system. Producing too much estrogen can cause uterine cancer in women.
How do you prevent cancer or lower the risk?
It is simple and very easy to control the risk factors of cancer. You can try to lose some of the weight by eating healthy and exercising. Remember that losing weight is not just because you want to look good, but most importantly you want to be healthy.
Choose the food you eat. Stay away from teratogens (substances that cause cancer) and start eating cancer-fighting foods. Fresh fruits and vegetables are good choices. These contain antioxidants, agents that work to help prevent cancer.
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