Abdominal obesity … Associated with 13 types of cancer, including colorectal cancer
Diagnosis of belly fat (abdominal obesity) from the waist circumference. Abdominal obesity is defined as a waist circumference greater than 90cm for men and 85cm for women. Waist circumference is measured with a tape measure while standing with your feet 25-30cm apart and exhaling comfortably. The measurement position is the midpoint between the lowest rib and the upper part of the pelvis in the hip. Your waist circumference can tell you the risk of colon cancer. Is there a way to lose belly fat?
◆ I measured my waist circumference … Surprisingly high risk of colorectal cancer
A paper measuring colorectal cancer risk from abdominal obesity was recently published in Gastroenterology. As a result of the follow-up and observation of the health status of 9.77 million Koreans for 10 years, abdominal obesity was found to be the single strongest risk factor. Those with severe abdominal obesity had a 53% higher risk of colorectal cancer than normal. Waist circumference exceeds 100cm (39.4in) for men and 95cm (37.4in) for women. Severe belly fat also affects the incidence of colorectal cancer.
◆ Unpleasant belly fat … increase the risk of cancer
Abdominal obesity is a major risk factor for cancer. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) under the World Health Organization (WHO), 13 types of cancer, including esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer , gallbladder cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, kidney cancer, meningioma, thyroid cancer and multiple myeloma are associated with obesity. In a Korean study, the risk of developing colorectal cancer, liver cancer, biliary tract cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, papillary thyroid cancer, lung cancer, lymphoma and melanoma was found to increase with weight gain.
◆ The prevalence of abdominal obesity is increasing every year … why?
The prevalence of abdominal obesity among Korean adults is 23.9% (2019), steadily increasing every year. This is because excessive calorie intake builds up in the body as the intake of animal fats such as meat increases significantly. Body movement that uses calories is decreasing, but if you only eat too fatty foods, you have no choice but to increase belly fat. Abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, lack of good cholesterol (HDL), high blood pressure, and fasting glucose disturbance (3 or more) are associated with metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer.
◆ Belly fat … how do I subtract It should be about 6 months
To lose belly fat, ‘eat less, move more’ is the basic principle. If you cut back on food abruptly, you may have an imbalance in nutrients such as electrolytes and minerals, and the yo-yo phenomenon may occur where you gain weight again. You should watch it for about 6 months and gradually reduce the amount of food you eat. Even if you eat meat, you can reduce saturated fat by avoiding fatty parts such as fat and by eating lean meat. It is good to limit white rice and noodles and eat whole grains such as brown rice and barley frequently. It is also helpful to have a lot of fiber around vegetables. Avoid late night meals and avoid high calorie drinks.
◆ You have to exercise … Maintain the lost weight
Exercise is essential not only to lose weight, but also to maintain the lost weight, especially “fat free” (the rest of the body weight minus the fat). It is recommended that you do aerobic exercise such as brisk walking, jogging and swimming for 30-60 minutes a day, 5 times a week or more. Strength training, such as dumbbells and squats, is appropriate 2-3 times per week for muscle recovery time rather than daily. In particular, middle-aged and older people should be especially careful not to injure themselves during strength training.
