Overweight and Increased Cancer Risk?
On a daily basis I have conversations with my patients about the importance of maintaining a healthy weight and in most cases I am instructing them on the need to lose weight. It is not that excess body fat or being little overweight looks ugly, but it’s the implications and consequences that obesity causes is a huge concern. The problem is this excess fat in your body has a brain of its own and unfortunately it is not in your favor. Let me tell you why: Fat in itself can produce inflammatory chemicals, unwanted hormones, and renders itself a great place to store toxins which can contribute to cancer. It is no surprise that there have been several studies revealing that approximately 40% of cancer cases are linked to obese patients. By the way, obesity is defined as a BMI (body mass index) of 30 and above. For most people, a BMI of 30 mean being approximately 30 pounds overweight.
A study from the American Cancer Society suggest that being obese or overweight was associated with cancer cases involving more than 630,000 Americans in 2014, and this includes 13 types of cancer. These cancers include: brain cancer, multiple myeloma, cancer of the esophagus, postmenopausal breast cancer, cancers of the thyroid, gallbladder, stomach, liver, pancreas, kidney, ovaries, uterus and colon.
Moreover, to add to that statistic, in 2013-2014 about two out of three American adults were overweight or obese. Of the documented cancers in those years, 55 % of women and 24 % of men were associated with being overweight or obese.
Ok, enough scary stuff, what can we do about it? As a Functional Medicine Doctor, I not only treat obese people successfully to help achieve goals of losing weight and assist in mitigating the negative implications of excess body fat but, I also help those that want to be proactive and decrease risk factors that can be detrimental to their overall health. You see it’s not only about losing the excess body fat but being properly managed by an experienced Functional Medicine Physician. A Functional Medicine Physician that is knowledgeable in not only weight loss treatment, but also in reducing the overall toxic load that will be secreted during weight loss is imperative. This is so important as fat is the storage place of many toxins and hormones. Remember, when one goes to a “weight loss center” it is possible to lose the weight but, have you truly fixed the underlining cause of the weight gain? Have you been treated appropriately to anticipate the overburden of toxins that will be released from fat as you lose weight? If not, then the weight will come back with a vengeance …… does this sound familiar?
Call us today and schedule your free consultation at 954.384.8989. Dr. Jean-Claude Nerette is Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Functional Medicine and Stephanie Muniz Nerette is a Board Certified Nurse Practitioner and a Diplomate to the Board of Anti-Aging Medicine. Bellissimo Medical is located at 2665 Executive Park Drive, Suite #3, in Weston.
www.BellissimoMedical.com
