Obesity Linked to Specific Cancers: Preventable

Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease. The American Cancer Society projects that 1.47 million people will be diagnosed with cancer this year and 562,000 will die of it.
Obesity causes more than 100,000 cases of cancer in the United States each year — and the number will likely rise as Americans get fatter, according to research experts.

American Institute for Cancer Research-AICR’s second expert report, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective, has confirmed the relationship between excess body fat and increased cancer risk. According to the scientific literature, there is convincing evidence that body fat increases risk for cancers of the esophagus, pancreas, colon and rectum, edometrium, kidney and breast (in postmenopausal women).

AICR said that having too much body fat causes nearly half the cases of endometrial cancer — a type of cancer of the uterus — and a third of esophageal cancer cases.

Because of the overwhelming evidence, AICR recommends maintaining a healthy weight throughout life to best reduce your chances of developing cancer. In fact, maintaining a healthy weight may be the single most important way to protect against cancer.

Here are some of AICR’s estimates of cancer types that could be prevented annually if Americans stayed slender:

• Esophageal – 35 percent of cases or 5,800 people
• Pancreatic – 28 percent or 11,900
• Gallbladder – 21 percent or 2,000
• Colon – 9 percent or 13,200
• Breast – 17 percent or 33,000
• Endometrium – 49 percent or 20,700
• Kidney – 24 percent or 13,900

Economic Impact: Overall obesity-related health spending reaches $147 billion, double what it was nearly a decade ago, according to the journal Health Affairs (MSNBC News July’09).
The United States spent about $2.2 trillion on healthcare in 2007. This accounts for 16 percent of our gross domestic product, and that’s projected to rise to 20 percent by 2017. Much of this healthcare spending can be tied to preventable health problems.

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Meta-analysis supports safety of soy, red clover

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Preventable Health Problems

The United States spent about $2.2 trillion on healthcare in 2007. This accounts for 16 percent of our gross domestic product, and that’s projected to rise to 20 percent by 2017. Much of this healthcare spending can be tied to preventable health problems.

Here are some examples of preventable health problems:

The largest numbers of deaths in the United States are caused by two preventable causes – tobacco smoking and high blood pressure – killing an estimated 467,000 and 395,000 people respectively in 2005. Currently, one in three American adults (about 73 million people) has high blood pressure; one in every six Americans age 20 or older has high cholesterol. Anyone suffering from high cholesterol or hypertension is at heightened risk for heart disease, according to HealthBeat, a Harvard Publication. Heart disease is projected to cost more than $304.6 billion in 2009, including health care services, medications, and lost productivity (CDC).

Case for obesity: Excess weight is a significant factor in four of the six leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. Obesity has fueled a 45 percent rise in diabetes over the past 20 years; someone born in 2000 has a 1 in 3 chance of developing the disease (US News Jan’09).
Obesity increases a person’s risk of illness and death due to diabetes, stroke, heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, and kidney and gallbladder disease. Obesity may increase the risk for some types of cancer. It is also a risk factor for the development of osteoarthritis and sleep apnea (NY Times June’08)

Case for colon cancer: Statistics show that although the death rate from colon cancer has dropped in recent years – likely mostly because of screening efforts – colorectal cancer still strikes almost 150,000 Americans every year and kills about 50,000.
Disease prevention is a key part of health care reform and the U.S. needs to do a better job preventing deaths through improved screening technology and ensuring more people have access to the tests, such as colonoscopies, says gastroenterologist Dr. Jon LaPook. He has his own colonoscopy recorded (see video, courtesy of CBS NEWS) to remind people of the importance of regular screenings.

Here are some simple preventive measures:

Low-risk factors for hypertension include a Body mass Index (BMI) of less than 25; an average of 30 minutes exercise per day; a good diet as measured by the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) or a Mediterranean-style diet centered on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and fish instead of red meat and processed foods. Also beneficial is an anti-inflammatory diet that is focused on reducing saturated fat and trans fats and eating more foods rich in alpha-linolenic acid—like flax seed, walnuts, and canola oil—and omega-3 fats.

Lifestyle therapies are considered first-line interventions for managing both long- and short-term risks, including fat loss, increased physical activity, and adopting a healthy diet, including whole grains, fruits and vegetables, fish and lean protein, and low-fat dairy, fiber supplements; reduced intake of saturated fat and cholesterol. Many experts agree that whole grains are notably beneficial for maintaining vital markers of cardiovascular health like blood pressure, cholesterol levels, homocysteine levels and inflammation, in addition to aiding weight management.

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Prevention and Wellness: Sensible Healthcare Reform

In the United States, only about 4% of total annual health expenditure is directed at preventing chronic diseases. As the national conversation about healthcare reform continues, there should be a paradigm shift in healthcare practice – working to improve health through prevention rather than mainly managing symptoms.

The United States spent about $2.2 trillion on healthcare in 2007. This accounts for 16 percent of our gross domestic product, and that’s projected to rise to 20 percent by 2017. Much of this healthcare spending can be tied to preventable health problems. For example, obesity-related spending, chiefly to treat high blood pressure and diabetes, accounted for 27 percent of the increase in overall health spending between 1987 and 2001, according to a study by Kenneth Thorpe, a professor of health policy at Emory University. Overall, caring for people with chronic medical conditions, many of them preventable, accounts for about 75 percent of medical spending nationwide (US News Jan’09).

Every year, an estimated 900,000 people die from avoidable causes: because they failed to maintain a healthy weight, eat nutritiously, and exercise, or because they smoked or drank excessively, for example. That’s roughly 40 percent of all U.S. deaths (USA News, 2009). In fact, poor or inadequate diets are linked to four of the top 10 causes of death: heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes.

Let me highlight the impact of obesity on healthcare expenditure.

Excess weight is a significant factor in four of the six leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. Obesity has fueled a 45 percent rise in diabetes over the past 20 years; someone born in 2000 has a 1 in 3 chance of developing the disease (US News Jan’09).

Obesity is not just dangerous, it is expensive. New research shows medical spending averages $1,400 more a year for an obese person than someone who’s normal weight. Overall obesity-related health spending reaches $147 billion, double what it was nearly a decade ago, according to the journal Health Affairs (MSNBC News July’09).

Given the heavy human and financial cost of chronic disease, heading off a medical condition, or at least its potential complications, seems like a no-brainer (US News Jan’09). It is sensible to promote “prevention and wellness” through preventive care, behavioral and lifestyle changes—emphasizing routine checkups, physical activity and better nutrition.

Give your health a boost with safe lifelong supplements™! Helpful health and wellness tips from: lifelonghp.com, blog.lifelong supplements and health bulletin.