More Cancers May Be Linked to Obesity

So, if I have a male patient who weighs 235, and I want him to be at 200, I would propose a plan that reduces his weight by no more than 1 to 1.5 pounds per month. The program would take about 24 months, and hopefully the weight will stay off, since the lifestyle changes would have happened gradually.

Here's an article recently written by my colleague, Diana Post, M.D., on a new study linking cancer and weight.

Obesity may increase the risk of developing many types of cancer, a study suggests. Weight gain has been suspected to increase the risk of a few cancers, including colon and breast, for some time. But the new study adds other cancers to the list: cancers of the esophagus, thyroid, kidney, uterus and gall bladder.

The study compiled data from 141 previous studies on four continents. Weight gain of about 30 pounds within 15 years was linked to the higher cancer risk. The study was published in the medical journal Lancet.

A survey done a few years ago estimated that more than 30% of Americans are obese. Many more are overweight.

It is also not yet known why obesity raises the risk of developing cancer. Some researchers suspect that having too many fat cells in some way can affect hormone levels, which would encourage the growth of tumors.

Preventing obesity is important because once fat cells form, they stay in the body for your whole life. You can change the size of your body's fat cells, but you cannot change the number of fat cells.

That said, if you are already overweight, losing weight can do a great deal to make you healthier. To lose weight, you must eat fewer calories than you burn each day. How can you do this?

• Burn more calories by starting an exercise program. There are many different ways to increase your activity and burn those calories. Walk instead of drive. Don't take the elevator. Join a gym or a sports team. Go for a bicycle ride with your family. Take the children on a hike.
• Eat less. Sometimes the best way to do this is to cut the size of portions of food you eat. Without major changes in the kinds of foods you eat, you will be cutting calories. Look also at what you are eating. Some foods may be very high in calories and may not even make you feel satisfied.
• Speak with your doctor about your weight loss plan. You might benefit from seeing a nutritionist to learn more about healthy eating.
• Be realistic in your goals. Don't go on a crash diet. Instead, make significant changes to your diet and exercise program that you can live with for years to come.

Obesity is often a lifelong problem. Remember, it is hard work to lose weight. It's even more difficult to keep off weight you lose. But it can be done. And doing so might just lower your risk of getting cancer.

Did you know about the obesity-cancer link? Have you lost weight to reduce your risk of cancer?

Marc Garnick, M.D., is an internationally renowned expert in medical oncology and urologic cancer, with a special emphasis on prostate cancer. He is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and maintains an active oncology practice at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Garnick serves as Editor in Chief of Perspectives on Prostate Diseases, a quarterly report from Harvard Health Publications.

Weigh Less
Two out of every three Americans are overweight. Excess weight can raise your risk of several chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers. Start lowering that risk with Weigh Less, Live Longer: Strategies for successful weight loss, a special report from Harvard Medical School that helps you personalize an effective weight-loss plan. Equip yourself with all the tools you need to lose weight safely and, most importantly, keep it off.

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