Eating Disorders Blog

A new study shows that obesity significantly increases a woman's risk of developing endometrial cancer, especially if she undergoes early menopause. Endometrial cancer forms in the tissue lining the uterus. The study, conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will appear in the July issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Researchers found that women with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 35 who were 45 at the time of their last menstrual cycle were 22 times as likely to develop endometrial cancers as their normal-weight peers. Cheryll C. Thomas, study author and an epidemiologist at the CDC, commented: "In this young population, the risk of endometrial cancer increased dramatically if they had a BMI greater than 25."
The study also found that women who had a BMI above 35 and were older than 45 during their last menstrual period were almost four times as likely to develop endometrial cancer, and women who had a BMI of at least 25 who were under 45 were six times more likely to develop endometrial cancer.

Dr. Diane Yamada, section chief for gynecologic oncology at the University of Chicago Medical Center, responded to the study's findings: "People have to be very aware that obesity not only puts you at risk for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, but also for cancer. ... Endometrial cancer is just one of multiple reasons to try to get healthier."

(Source: www.forbes.com)

Labels: obesity, cancer

Posted By: Aspen Education Group