Obese women who do not smoke, especially those in low income groups, are susceptible to premature death from heart disease and cancer, new research shows. Read the full story

Exercise rates are up, but the rate of obesity is staying the same, according to new government data. Read the full story

Cancer rates among people who are obese continue to rise, new studies indicate. Watch this week’s WLS News to find out more. Read the full story

Bringing Heart to Mind

Heart disease kills more women in the United States than any other disease – but are American women concerned by that?

Nope. Statistics say that only one in five women gives a hoot about heart disease, whereas a recent survey found that 61% of American women fear getting cancer more than any other health problem.

Don’t get us wrong. Cancer is terrible, but the average woman’s risk of getting terminal cancer is low compared to her likelihood of dying from a heart attack. Excess weight, which often leads to heart attacks and other cardiopulmonary disease, is the real threat to women’s health in the U.S.: eight out of ten American women between the ages of 40 to 60 exhibit excess weight or other risk factors for heart disease, and almost 70% of women ages 45 to 74 are overweight or obese.

And they know it. 97% of women recently surveyed knew that overweight and obesity are risk factors for heart disease – yet relatively few are taking action to reduce their risk by losing the excess weight.

Allergan, developers of the well-known Lap-Band adjustable gastric band, and WomenHeart, a leading nonprofit national organization dedicated to advancing women’s heart health, have decided to do something about it.

They’ve started the Heartfelt Moments Obesity Health Education Campaign, a program to educate dangerously overweight women about the risk of obesity-related heart disease and the importance of reducing this risk through safe, supervised weight loss.

The survey we mentioned at the top of the story also found that 79% of obese women would react positively if a friend or family member spoke to them about their excess weight.

Be that as it may, it’s hoped that the Heartfelt Moments campaign and similar efforts will raise awareness among women of the real health threat posed by obesity, and motivate them to take positive action to reduce their chances of suffering from obesity-triggered heart disease.

Even Moderate Obesity Shortens Life Expectancy

According to new analysis of 57 studies that involved a total of nearly a million subjects, researchers have found that being obese can shorten a person’s average lifespan by two to four years, and by up to eight to ten years for the very obese.

The study was primarily done to see how body mass index, or BMI, effects mortality.

BMI is calculated by multiplying a person’s weight in pounds times 703, and dividing that sum by their height in inches squared. A BMI between 30 to 35 is considered moderately obese and a BMI of 40-50 is considered morbidly obese.

Though there is controversy of the use of measuring one’s health with BMI – for example, some weightlifters have high BMIs due to their muscle mass – it is still a useful tool for assessing the extent that fat can cause health problems.

Study participants were 46 years old, with an average BMI of 25 when the study began in 1979, and were mostly from North America and Western Europe.

During the follow-up period, which averaged eight years, mortality was found to be lowest in the men and women who maintained a BMI between 22.5 and 25. However, with every additional 5 BMI points, the mortality risk rose by 30%. The highest BMI deaths were due to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney and liver disease, and even some cancers.

In presenting these findings, researchers hope that people may become more motivated to prevent weight gain or attempt to lose weight in efforts to extend their life.

Cancer Deaths Will Double Due to Obesity, Reports Say

A new report from the World Cancer Research Fund projects that the number of cancer deaths will double within the next forty years – driven by the continued rise in obesity worldwide. The evidence linking obesity and cancer is substantial. Researchers have long known that excess body fat produces hormones, such as estrogen and insulin that can increase the risk of developing cancer. In fact, a 2007 study by the World Cancer Research Fund found that a poor diet and physical inactivity account for 25 to 30% of cancers worldwide. The researchers noted that about 7 million people die from cancer each year. But, as the obesity rate continues to rise not only in the U.S., but throughout Europe and other parts of the world, by 2020 that number could reach more than 10 million people each year.

Now, an international team of experts has now put out a companion report to the 2007 study that doesn’t just address the increase in cancer rates caused by a sedentary lifestyle and poor dietary choices, but also the social, economic and cultural factors behind those trends.
As part of the report, two independent teams of scientists systematically looked at the evidence for how policy changes and interventions influence the behaviors that affect cancer risk. A separate panel of experts then put together specific policy recommendations for government, industry, media, schools and other institutions to help people make healthier lifestyle choices.

The new report underscores the exponential rise of childhood obesity rates in developed nations, and suggests that health authorities make the fight against childhood obesity a public health priority worldwide.

In the March 6, 2009, edition of WLS News, we’ll look at how former President Clinton is leading the charge in the fight against childhood obesity. We’ll also show you a special kind of balloon that might help stop overeating; investigate the growing phenomenon of medical tourism for weight loss surgery; and unwrap a new global initiative to curb the growing rate of cancers related to obesity. And, of course, WLS Journeys host Yvonne McCarthy will pop in to highlight two outstanding websites for WLS information and support. Tune into this week’s newscast now!

Organizations mentioned in this week’s news:

• Alliance Healthcare Initiative
• American Heart Association
• William J. Clinton Foundation
• BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina
• BlueCross BlueShield of Massachusetts
• Aetna
• WellPoint
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• American Dietetic Association
• University of Cincinnati
• National Institutes of Health
• Circulation Research (medical journal)
• BioEnterics® (Makers of the BioEnterics® Intragastric Balloon System)
• Dr. Adam Smith (Head surgeon, Fort-Worth Lap-Band)
• American Cancer Society
• World Cancer Research Fund
• WorldMedAssist (medical tourism company)
• WLS Lifestyles (WLS support website and magazine)
• Duodenal Switch Information Zone (DS support and information)
• Bariatric Girl (Yvonne McCarthy’s WLS support site)
• Bariatric Advantage (nutritional supplements)

Bariatric Surgery Reduces Cancer Chances, Study Says

In our next story, we recently reported on the positive effect that weight loss surgery can have on reducing the risk of ovarian cancer in older women. Now it appears the same benefits hold true for younger women, as well.  In San Antonio, TX, a team of researchers has presented evidence that bariatric surgery may help reduce the rates of several different kinds of cancers for women of all ages.

The study compared cancer rates between a group of women who underwent weight loss surgery and another group of obese women who did not opt for surgery. At the end of the study, 3.6% of the weight loss surgery patients developed some form of cancer, versus 5.8% of the participants who did not have surgery.

Interestingly, lead researcher Dr. Susan Modesitt noted that both groups of obese women with endometrial, breast, ovarian or colorectal cancers were younger at diagnosis compared with the mean ages from the state’s Cancer Registry for each type of cancer.