Essay on Obesity as a Risk Factor of Breast Cancer
Obesity is one of the most serious public health concerns. The statistical data provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that in all 50 states there is “20% prevalence of obesity among adults” (Dannenberg & Berger, p. 62). According to research, obesity is associated with increased risks of different types of cancers, including breast (postmenopausal) cancer (Obesity and Cancer Risk, 2014). It has been found that the National Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society pay due attention to this problem, providing adequate research on the public profile associated with the growth of breast cancer and its risk factors, in order to find effective methods to reduce incidence rate. The high incidence of breast cancer in obese women is caused by a number of factors, including nutritional factors, psychological factors and physical activity factors. For example, high-fat and low-fibre diets contribute to the weight gain. Actually, the mechanism of breast cancer is focused on the conjunction of improper nutrition with inadequate physical activity and “excessive weight gain at the time of a major change in hormonal balance” (Stoll, 2006, p. 389). These factors contribute to insulin resistance, while the concomitants of hyper-insulinaemia synergized with estrogen, stimulate the development of breast cancer. In other words, the concomitants of hyper-insulinaemia affect the growth of disease, ensuring its promotion in obese patients and requiring surgery for early breast cancer. Thesis statement: Obesity is one of the risk factors of breast cancer that can be avoided by means of the proper nutrition combined with adequate physical activity. The major goal of this paper is to analyze obesity as a risk factor of breast cancer.
Obesity can be defined as “a condition in which a person has an abnormally high and unhealthy proportion of body fat” (Obesity and Cancer Risk, 2014). In other to provide obesity measurement, it is necessary to use the body mass index (BMI) that can be calculated by division of an individual’s weight by his/her height squared. Obese people have BMI of 30.0 and above, overweight people – 25.0 – 29.9, compared to people of normal weight who have BMI of 18.5 – 24.9 (Obesity and Cancer Risk, 2014).
There is a close relationship between obesity and breast cancer. Many epidemiological studies point out to the fact that obese women are at high risk of developing postmenopausal breast cancer (Stoll, 2006). It has been found that “higher body mass index is associated with a more advanced stage of breast cancer at diagnosis in terms of tumor size but data on lymph node status is not so consistent” (Carmichael & Bates, 2004). In other words, practically all obese women have high blood insulin levels, causing the development of the condition known as hyper-insulinemia or the so-called insulin resistance. This condition promotes the growth of tumors (Obesity and Cancer Risk, 2014).
In addition, fat cells have the ability to produce hormones, which are known as Adipokines that may promote stimulation or inhibition of cell growth. For example, leptin may increase cell proliferation, while Adiponectin has anti-proliferative effects (Obesity and Cancer Risk, 2014). Besides, fat cells may influence other tumor growth regulators, which lead to “subacute” inflammation and increased cancer risk. There are many other factors caused by obesity that lead to high cancer risk, including “altered immune responses, effects on the nuclear factor kappa beta system, and oxidative stress” (Obesity and Cancer Risk, 2014).
There are some recommendations for obese women to decrease the risk of breast cancer. These recommendations are based on the findings taken from the new studies on the ways to decrease the risk of breast cancer and on the studies regarding the benefits of physical exercises and low-fat and high-fibre diets practices by cancer survivors.
First of all, obese women should pay due attention to their weight control. According to experts, “the most conclusive way to test whether avoiding weight gain or losing weight will decrease the risk of cancer is through a controlled clinical trial” (Obesity and Cancer Risk, 2014). It has been found that obese women should lose weight in order to reduce the risk of developing a wide range of chronic diseases, including breast cancer.
Second, physical exercises can help to decrease the risk of breast cancer. Experts consider that obese women should exercise for more than 2-3 hours a week in order to use physical activity as the beneficial tool aimed at decreasing the risk of breast cancer. The best option is to have at least 30 minutes of physical exercises every day. Some of the most popular types of physical activity for obese women include walking, jumping, swimming, dancing and even cleaning a room/house. There are several important reasons that can give explanation to the usefulness of physical activity. Physical exercises help to reduce weight and body fat, decreasing the circulation of hormones that promote breast cancer cells growth. In addition, physical activity can “improve insulin resistance, reducing the risk of diabetes, which has been tied to the risk of a number of cancers, including breast” (Stefanek & Boughton, 2010, p. 7). In general, regular physical exercises help to lose weight effectively, maintaining a healthy weight for a long time, and easing a wide range of other physical problems and conditions, such as fatigue, muscle loss, heart problems, osteoporosis, and other health problems.
Third, the proper nutrition can help to decrease the risk of breast cancer in obese women. Healthy diets contribute to weight loss, providing an opportunity to become more active. It is recommended to eat a variety of healthy food, including “vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nonfat dairy products, beans and lean meats, poultry and fish” (Stefanek & Boughton, 2010, p. 8). In addition, it is recommended to control portion sizes, which should not be too large. In order to decrease the risk of breast cancer, it is necessary to eat foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Thus, it is necessary to conclude that obesity is really a serious public health concern that causes breast cancer in many obese or overweight women. Fat cells produce hormones which promote the growth of breast cancer cells. A number of observational studies show that there is relationship between obesity and cancer risk; therefore it is necessary to decrease the risks of breast cancer through weight loss. In addition, obese women should place emphasis on regular physical exercises and healthy nutrition.
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