JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two out of three adults and one-third of children in American are overweight or obese, and a recent study from the National Cancer Institute showed that there is a relationship between excess weight and cancer.
Individuals that were overweight at age 20 were at a 60 percent to 80 percent increased risk for developing esophageal and stomach cancer
“We think that there is a risk of all sorts of cancer linked with obesity,” said Dr. Scott Ackerman of Ackerman Cancer Centers. “With obesity, there are all sorts of imbalance with hormones with insulin, test, estrogen, and there are some thoughts about a correlation between these imbalances and cancer.”
As we age, there is also an increased risk of cancer for those who put on weight gradually. The study found that those who gradually gained 35-45 pounds throughout adulthood, and were obese by age 50, were three times more likely to be diagnosed with esophageal and stomach cancer.
“You want to make sure that you continue to maintain a healthy body weight through a lifetime,” Ackerman said. “What we look at is the body mass index. We want it to be between 18.5 and 24.5.“
Ackerman also recommended excersisng five days a week and including whole grains in your diet, to minimize processed meats and limiting alcohol and caffeine.