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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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.

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Health Effects of Overweight and Obesity

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, research has shown that as weight increases to reach the levels referred to as “overweight” and “obesity,”* the risks for the following conditions also increase:

• Coronary heart disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Dyslipidemia (e.g, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
• Stroke
• Liver and Gallbladder disease
• Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
• Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)
• Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility)

*Overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher; obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 or higher.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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NIH Study – Calorie Intake Determines Weight Loss

Lifelong Supplements™ health news! , A two-year National Institutes of Health-funded study that assigned 811 overweight people to one of four reduced-calorie diets found that all trimmed pounds just the same. It didn’t matter what foods participants ate (not protein, fat or carbohydrate ratios), but rather how many calories they consumed, according to the Wall Street Journal report. This finding “really goes against the idea that certain foods are the key to weight loss,” says Frank Sacks, the lead researcher and a professor of cardiovascular-disease prevention at Harvard School of Public Health. Click here The Wall Street to learn more.
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Obesity: Part of the Solution is to Consume more Fruits and Fiber

People who consume more fruit and fiber are more likely to have healthier body weights, according to researchers at the University of Texas at Austin. Two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese. Carrying around extra body fat increases the risk for a host of diseases, and cardiovascular disease is at the very top, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While obesity is a very complex problem and researchers and health professionals continue to seek answers for safe and effective weight-loss options, one simple solution for achieving a healthier body weight is to eat more fruits and fiber. Fiber-rich foods include whole grains, vegetables and legumes. 

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

Metabolic Syndrome Control: Lifelong Supplements™ and Lifestyle Changes

It is estimated that metabolic syndrome affects about 50 million Americans.  Metabolic Syndrome, also known as “cadio-metabolic syndrome”, or ”insulin resistance syndrome”, or “syndrome X” is characterized by a combination of obesity, hypertension, and high blood cholesterol, and linked by the underlying resistance to insulin.  Possible outcomes of metabolic syndrome include the development of type-2 diabetes and increased risk of stroke and other heart diseases.  What is the best way to deal with the risk factors?  First, you should be under doctor’s care.  According to the American Heart Association, “the safest, most effective and preferred way to reduce insulin resistance in overweight and obese people is weight loss and increased physical activity.”  Second, consider using safe lifelong supplements  beneficial in controlling metabolic syndrome. 

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