Monday, February 23, 2009

Risks of Weight Gain After Menopause, Breast Cancer

By Ricardo d Argence

Although a lot of females think it's fine to gain some pounds while in menopause, since it just occurs rather naturally, it really isn't something that a person would want to do.

Many women face weight loss challenges at this stage in life and it is important to face this directly. Doing nothing and letting the weight come on could be worse for your health than you are aware of.

As your weight increases during menopause, so does your chance at getting breast cancer. If you find yourself gaining weight during this time in your life you need to be aware of the problems that could very well come along with it. The risk level is reversible though. Once you begin lowering your weight you will also be lowering your risk at getting breast cancer.

Indeed, studies done at the Harvard Medical School of Public Health have shown that women who've put on 55 or more pounds since the age of 18 are 45% more apt to get breast cancer in comparison to those who didn't gain that many pounds. Using postmenopausal hormones can actually increase the risk of cancer.

It is important not to gain the weight at all. Life happens and you can find yourself in need to lose some weight, so do it. The sooner you act the better. The faster you lose those extra pounds the less likely you'll have breast cancer.

Proper diet and exercise is very important. You want to make sure that you are doing everything in moderation. It's important to maintian a balanced diet to make sure you are still getting enough protein and everything else you need to function properly. Changing your diet and exercise will help you lose the weight.

Dropping a pound or two a week is a healthy rate. Striving for faster results can both damage your system and make it more likely that you will regain weight in the future. Slow and steady is the best way to lose pounds.

Dieting and keeping in shape are important preventative measures for breast cancer, but you need to take care to not overdo it because you could end up hurting some other part of your body. Understand the facts and do something about becoming a healthier and better looking you. - 15784

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