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Regular exercise of moderate to vigorous intensity has been shown to decrease older women’s chances of developing postmenopausal breast cancer. Women who have experienced menopause have the highest risk of developing breast cancer. The study, reported by the journal BMC Cancer, reports that older women who exercised for an hour a day could decrease their odds of getting breast cancer by 16 percent.
Additionally, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), experts concluded in 2001 that there is a link between obesity and various forms of cancer, including breast cancer. Pre-menopausal obese women do have a lower risk than women of a healthy weight. However, after menopause, obese women’s chances of developing breast cancer are 150 percent greater than those at a healthy weight.
Scientists estimate that between 11,000 and 18,000 of the U.S. women over 50 who die from breast cancer each year could survive if they maintained a BMI (body mass index) under 25 throughout their adult lives.
It should be noted that obesity only seems to increase the risk for women who do not take post-menopausal hormones. Still, it’s a good idea to keep active, at any age, but especially as we grow older and our metabolisms begin to slow.
Women in Idaho are a bit ahead of the game. Data from the NCI shows that Idaho’s annual death rate for breast cancer is lower than the national average. Rates in Idaho, including rates in Ada and Canyon counties, are falling.
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Read more about the link between obesity and cancer
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