It seems like every day there’s a new study about weight and its effect on our health. For the most part, the news seems bad – extra weight can add extra risk for conditions like heart disease, diabetes, etc. Although…the last news item I blogged about seems to say the exact opposite and even found that being overweight (with a Body Mass Index – BMI – between 25 and 30) has been linked to improvements in muscle mass and bone density. It all seems pretty confusing.
One thing I think that is consistent across all studies is that there are definite risks associated with being obese (having a BMI of 30 or greater) – and it not just risks for getting a condition, but risks for outcomes from the condition too. For example, research that was released just last week supports the fact that being obese is linked with higher risk for more advanced forms of breast cancer. According to the study published in Clinical Cancer Research, women who are obese and are diagnosed with locally advanced breast cancer are more likely to face recurrence. They found that overweight and obese women were more likely to have a higher grade of breast cancer at diagnosis, followed by more disease recurrence.
Of course, it’s important to note that many thought leaders believe the evidence is only suggestive of a link between obesity and breast cancer recurrence and that more research is needed.
So what does this mean for us? Well, in talking with doctors, women who are obese or overweight might want to discuss the importance of lifestyle modifications and weight control, in addition to the standard treatments. And women who have not been diagnosed with breast cancer may have just one more reason to control their weight.
So while the studies may seem to go back and forth every day, I think that the overwhelming evidence shows that if you’re obese, losing some weight can help you feel better now – and may help your health in the future too.
Kerry (a Lumen)
