Strokes Among Middle-Aged Women Increase

According to research done by University of Southern California in Los Angeles, strokes have tripled in recent years among middle-aged women in the US.

This is mainly due to the obesity epidemic. Nearly 2 percent of women ages 35 to 54 reported suffering a stroke in the most recent federal health survey, from 1999 to 2004 as compared to half a percent in the previous survey, from 1988 to 1994.

This is surprising because it happened when more women were on medicines to control their cholesterol and blood pressure.

The researchers said women's abdominal obesity corresponds with the increase in strokes.Although men normally have a greater risk of stroke than women, women start catching up to men five or 10 years after menopause

Overweight and Cancer Risk

According to a research covered more than 280,000 cases from North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, there might be a link between obesity and a person's risk of developing different types of cancer such as cancer of the esophagus, thyroid, kidney, uterus, colon, breast and gall bladder.

In men, an average weight gain of 33 pounds increased the risk of esophageal cancer by 52 percent, thyroid cancer by 33 percent, and colon and kidney cancers each by 24 percent, the research found.

In women, a weight gain of 29 pounds increased the risk of cancer in the uterus and gall bladder by nearly 60 percent, esophagus by 51 percent and kidney by 34 percent, the study said.

However, although the study suggests a link, there is no proof that being fat in itself causes cancer because scientists are still unsure how being overweight could make people more susceptible to cancer. Some believe that the presence of excess fat cells could affect the levels of hormones in your body favoring the development of tumors in humans.

However, do not wait for the proof. Start controlling your body weight now!