More U.S. Women May Be Obese Than Thought

A new study, appearing in the May issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, says that federal guidelines on obesity should be revised so more women fit into the category of “obese”.

Today, guidelines that determine who is obese is based on body-mass index, also known as BMI. Body-mass index measures wheter a person’s height and weight are proportional. But when comparing this to the World Health Organization‘s guidelines – which use body-fat analysis instead of BMI – about half of the women that were considered obese under the WHO’s guidelines, were not obese under federal guidelines.

Under the international guidelines, about half of white women and more than two-thirds of Latino women are considered obese. Study author Dr. Mahbubur Rahman, at the Univerisity of Texas‘ Medical Branch’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology said “It is especially important to accurately assess obesity in reproductive-age women, as they are more likely to be obese than similarly aged men.” He continues, “These women are at risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other obesity-related health conditions, and may forgo or be overlooked for needed tests and treatments.”

Dr. Abbey Berenson, director of the University’s Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Women’s Health, says “BMI is not ‘one size fits all.’ Inaccurate classification can decrease the impact of obesity prevention programs that will result in many women not receiving the help they need.”

To find out more about how to measure your BMI, look here.

Well-Done Meat Increases Cancer Risk

New research claims that eating lots of meat, especially when it is overcooked, can increase the risk of bladder cancer. Meat that is charred can form cancer-causing chemicals, researchers say. This new finding was presented during the US cancer research conference.

The American study, performed at the University of Texas, is based on over 1,700 people and lasted for over 12 years. The investigators found that the risk was highest for those who ate well-cooked red meat, but even chicken and fish, when fried, significantly raised the odds of cancer. Three significant types of the cancer-causing chemicals, called heterocyclic amines (HCAs), raised cancer risk by more than two-and-a-half.

Lead researcher Pr. Xifeng Wu said “This research reinforces the relationship between diet and cancer. The results strongly support what we suspected – people who eat a lot of red meat, particularly well-done red meat, such as fried or barbecued, seem to have a higher likelihood of bladder cancer.”

Dr. Panagiota Mitrou, of the World Cancer Research Fund, says “We recommend that people aim to limit consumption of red meat to 500g – cooked weight – per week and to avoid eating processed meat.”

In UK alone, more than 10,000 new cases of bladder cancer are diagnosed each year, and around 5,000 people die from it every year, with almost 90% being over 65 years old.

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