Study: Obese People At High Risk For Cancer

WASHINGTON — The fatter you are, the higher your chance of getting cancer, according to a landmark study released on Monday.

Medical experts from around the world worked together on this study, reported to be the most extensive of its kind. What many find most alarming: researchers have documented that two out of three Americans are overweight.

“It’s clear that being fat induces and causes more cancers than we thought,”said Dr. W. Philip James,from the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Doctors stress trying to have a body mass index of under 25,” said Dr.Tim Johnson, amedical consulant for ABC News.”You’ve got to get a chart, look at your height and weight and see if you’re under 25. If you’re not, you have to work at it.”

A panel of medical experts worked five years to analyzeseven thousand studies and found that excess body fat dramatically incrases the risk of cancers of the colon, kidneys, pancreas, esophagus, uterus and breasts in post menopausal women.

To prevent cancer the report recommends:

Be as lean as possible. Exercise andbe physically active for at least 30 minutes per day. Limit energy dense foods, like cookies and avoid sugary drinks such as soda. Eat mostly foods of plant origin. Limit red meat to 3 ounces a day and avoid processed meat.

“You don’t have to be spooked about cancer,” said Jeffrey Prince, a cancer researcher. “It is not inevitable.”

Researchers also say men should limit alcohol to two drinks a day…and women just one.

Without these changes the medical experts are convinced that it won’t be long before body-fat surpasses smoking as the number one cause of cancer.