Maintain a healthy weight! According to the Cancer Prevention Center at the University of Texas, being overweight is on track to overtake tobacco as the leading preventable cause of cancer. And according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that the heaviest women had death rates from cancer that were 62% higher than women in a healthy weight range. In fact, one-third of all cancer deaths in the U.S. each year are linked to poor diet and too little physical activity. So what is it about being overweight that makes it a cancer risk? It’s the fact that excess fat changes hormonal activity. It causes higher levels of insulin, growth factors, inflammation, and gender hormones – and that increases your odds of developing cancer. So at your next doctor’s appointment, ask if they have any recommendations for your weight. Are you at a healthy weight? What should you aim for? Because getting to a healthy weight will greatly reduce your cancer risk.

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