| There's a rather prickly debate going on regarding the | | | | that reduces the fat, turns it into muscle, should also |
| cause of breast cancer and the effect of lifestyle | | | | help reduce the risk of cancer. |
| factors on the disease. A presentation at the recent | | | | To some this sounds dangerously close to medicine |
| European Breast Cancer Conference In Barcelona | | | | blaming women for their disease. It is important to |
| estimates that up to one third of breast cancers in | | | | understand that most of the risks for breast cancer, |
| Western countries could be avoided if women ate | | | | gender, age and your family history, are things you |
| less and upped the amount of exercise they do. | | | | cannot control. |
| Early diagnosis and better treatments have slowed | | | | Others disagree, claiming it is impossible to ignore the |
| the disease, leaving experts to suggest the focus | | | | links between lifestyle choices and breast cancer. And |
| needs to shift to behaviors also thought to impact | | | | if we have information on something we think might |
| risk, such as eating poorly and being inactive. | | | | help - and help a lot - not talking about it is a |
| Figures from the International Agency for Research | | | | dis-service to all women, especially younger ones, |
| on Cancer have 25-30% of breast cancers being | | | | who really need to get this message. |
| prevented if women were thinner and more active. | | | | It's not that we can't be taught; people have |
| Breast cancer is known to be the most common | | | | changed their ways because of health advice on |
| cancer in women. European women suffered 421,000 | | | | smoking and sun exposure. Or that we don't care. |
| new cases and just about 90,000 deaths from the | | | | But many of us are still eating an unhealthy diet and |
| disease, while in the U.S. the number of new | | | | getting far too little exercise. |
| diagnoses was at 190,000 and 40,000 deaths. A | | | | Our lives are hectic and we have no time. Some may |
| woman's lifetime risk of getting the disease is about | | | | even be indulging in alcohol more regularly than is |
| one in eight. | | | | good for them or not getting the rest they need. |
| In the 1980s and 1990s the rates of cancer of the | | | | Bad habits are the easiest to pick up, and the |
| breast were on a steady climb upward, coincidentally | | | | hardest to break. |
| as rates of obesity reached all time highs. Another | | | | And our metabolisms as we age aren't exactly |
| contributor to breast cancer is now known to be the | | | | making things any easier. |
| estrogen containing hormones that used to be | | | | While the issue between breast cancer and lifestyle |
| prescribed to women after menopause. Once the | | | | factors is complex and highly charged, the American |
| treatment was abandoned, breast cancer rates | | | | Cancer Society points out that the risk appears to |
| dipped, and doctors are hoping for a similar dip if | | | | increase for those women who gain weight as adults, |
| more focus was placed on proper diet and getting | | | | but not those who've been overweight since |
| enough exercise. | | | | childhood. To help reduce your risk, the ACS |
| British researchers have found that obese women | | | | suggests 45-60 minutes of activity five or more days |
| are 60% more likely to develop any type of cancer. | | | | of the week. |
| This is likely the result of many cancers of the breast | | | | When it comes to the cause of breast cancer, the |
| being fueled by estrogen, a hormone produced by | | | | factors that you can control - staying active, eating |
| fat tissue. So, the heavier a woman is, the more | | | | right and limiting your alcohol intake - are at least as |
| estrogen she's likely to produce naturally. Anything | | | | important as the ones you can't. |