It’s a Matter of Your Health
Dr. Veita Bland / June 9, 2017
We all want to look as great as we can. When we look in the mirror we want to make sure that all hairs are in place, no hems are loose and that we have an overall pleasing look. Some of us long for the body we had when we were young and generally more active. Those school day pictures of the past are what we may want. Go back and look at them. Most of us were much leaner then.
Then life came with its responsibilities. Now, we run around less and burn up less energy because we’re working, having children, cleaning house and you know the routine.
For a while we were told we could be fat but fit but researchers seem to have abandoned those thoughts. A lot of people have become much more active and particularly more attuned to the types of foods they consume.
We have long known that obesity may affect cardiac health, joint health and quality of life. We have also known that obesity affects certain cancers. There is now evidence that the distribution of one’s obesity may have a bearing on the type of cancer a person may develop. Researchers have found that when the waistline becomes larger there is a greater chance of developing some of these cancers.
The obesity related cancers are as follows: post-menopausal female breast, colon, rectum, lower esophagus, stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, uterus lining, ovary and kidney.
A study conducted in Europe examined more than 43,000 people who were ages 54 to 67 for a correlation between obesity and cancer. These people were followed for 12 years. Increased waist circumference was associated with an increase in cancer specifically in women who developed post-menopausal breast cancer.
We have all known for a while that obesity is not great for our health. We have even more incentive now to try to control our weight and keep that waistline intact.
Dr. Veita Bland is a board certified Greensboro physician and hypertension specialist. Dr. Bland’s radio show, “It’s a Matter of Your Health,” can be heard live on Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. on North Carolina A&T State University’s WNAA, 90.1 FM. Listeners may call in and ask questions. The show is replayed on Sirius 142 at 5 p.m. on Wednesdays. Email Dr. Bland at ideas@blandclinicpa.com.
