Being fat is making us sick with cancer
There’s new evidence that obesity, particularly belly fat, can be a leading factor in six types of cancer. In the largest study of its kind, researchers spent five years collecting information on the effects that body weight, diet and physical activity have on the risk of developing cancer. Among the findings released Wednesday of a panel of 21 international experts of the World Cancer Research Fund, is that, while smoking is the single biggest cause of cancer, nearly a third of the people studied could avoid cancer if they maintained a healthy weight. The study is of particular concern to African Americans, because Black women are more overweight than nearly any other ethnic group or gender, according to the U.S. Department of Health. The department’s figures show that 69 percent of Black women are overweight, compared with 58 percent of Black men, 62 percent of White men and 47 percent of White women. The Cancer researchers listed 10 ways for people to reduce their cancer risk, including exercising more and reducing the amount of red meat and cured meats, such as cold cuts and bacon, you eat each week.

Living in big cities may be hazardous to your health
If you live in the big city, you’re likely to die faster than the rest of America, a new study found. The nation’s 54 largest cities had a 20 percent higher death rate than the rest of the country in 2004, according to the study, released by the National Association of County and City Health Officials. That diminished health status exists despite a concentration of high-level resources and health services, said Patrick Lenihan, project manager for the Big Cities Health Inventory project and head of research for the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago. “The number of indicators is worse yet for minority populations,” he added. The study found that lung cancer deaths were 24 percent higher for Blacks than Whites in big cities, and that the incidence of breast cancer was 35 percent higher in big cities. What these numbers tell me is we need to increase funding for public health programs because of the large increases in these diseases we’re seeing in urban areas,” Thomson said. Find out more about the Big Cities Health Inventory at www.naccho.org.

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