Cancer: The best weight loss incentive

Forty percent of all cancers in the United States are now linked to excess weight.

I’ll say that again…

Cancers associated with being overweight or obese now account for 40 percent of all diagnoses of the disease in our country.

In fact, being overweight is associated with increased risk for 13 types of cancer, including breast, ovarian, thyroid and even liver cancer — the second deadliest form of cancer.

That’s a scary fact considering that nearly 70 percent of U.S. adults age 20 years or older are now overweight or obese. In 1988–1994, by contrast, only 56 percent of adults aged 20 years or older were overweight or obese.

How does your body weight affect your cancer risk?

Excess body weight can affect your cancer risk through a number of mechanisms, such as:

• Immune system function and inflammation
• Levels of certain hormones, such as insulin and estrogen
• Factors that regulate cell growth, such as insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)
• Proteins that influence how your body uses certain hormones, such as sex hormone-binding globulin

Knowing your BMI

To understand whether you’re at risk, you need to know your body mass index (BMI). BMI is calculated by dividing your weight (in kilograms) by your height (in meters) squared (commonly expressed as kg/m2). BMI provides a more accurate measure of obesity than weight alone.

The standard weight categories based on BMI for adults age 20 years or older are:

BMI in kg/m2     Weight Category

Below 18.5          Underweight

18.5 to 24.9         Normal

25.0 to 29.9         Overweight

30.0 to 39.9         Obese

40.0 or higher    Severely obese

Effective slim-down program

So, if you want to prevent cancer, it’s clear that slimming down could play a large role.

And, every effective weight loss program has to take into account the food you eat and how much of it.

One diet that is gaining popularity thanks to its amazing weight loss results as well as its other health benefits is the ketogenic or keto diet — where you eliminate carbs and sugars to move your body into ketosis (a fatting burning state).

The most important thing to reach ketosis is to avoid eating most carbohydrates. To succeed in losing weight with the keto diet, you’ll probably need to keep carb intake to under 50 grams per day of net carbs (the grams of total carbohydrates in a portion of food minus its grams of fiber) and ideally below 20 grams. The fewer carbs the more effective.

A rough guideline is to stay below 10 percent of your calories from carbohydrates (the fewer carbs, the more effective), 15 to 25 percent from protein (the lower end is more effective), and 70 percent or more from fat.

On the keto diet, you can drink water, coffee and tea but should avoid sweeteners. A modest amount of milk or cream is OK as well as the occasional glass of wine.

Other diets you could try include paleo (a higher protein option than the keto diet) or the Mediterranean diet (focusing on fruits, vegetables and healthy fats).

Don’t let your weight put you at higher risk for cancer. Take control of your weight and health today and start a healthy eating program that will pay off for years to come.