Weight gain and obesity is common among caregivers…part of the fallout from a demanding lifestyle, where people struggle to find the time to care for themselves. We all know that getting our weight under control is important for many reasons. Here’s a big, new one to add to the list:

LONDON (Sept. 24) — Being fat could become the leading cause of cancer in women in Western countries in the coming years, European researchers said Thursday.

There’s a study out that shows a link between being being overweight or obese and up to 8-percent of cancers in Europe! Researchers expect that number to go up as obesity rates continue to climb.

One of the health experts involved in the study had this to say during his presentation of the results: “Obesity is catching up at a rate that makes it possible it could become the biggest attributable cause of cancer in women within the next decade.”
That same expert says that some U-S studies found obesity was responsible for up to 20-percent of cancers.
Why does being overweight increase your cancer risk? Scientists aren’t exactly sure, but preliminary studies are showing it may be connected to hormones. When we gain weight, we produce more hormones, such as estrogen, which can help tumors grow.
Remember, new research also continues to support that although we should be getting 30-minutes of physical activity most days a week to lose and/or maintain weight, we don’t have to do a thirty minute chunk all at once. So…if you’re having a busy day…three ten-minute walks might be easier to manage, and will have the same, positive, healthy impact on your body.
j.