Assessing Your Healthy Weight

June 10, 2010

Cancer survivors get tired. Fatigue is a major problem for many survivors during and after treatment. In fact, some research suggests that one in three survivors experience serious fatigue up to three years after their treatment ends. The bad news is that there is NOT a cure-all for the fatigue survivors face, but the good news is that there are some steps survivors can take to reclaim their energy. Exercise has been shown to be very effective in reducing fatigue. Healthy eating habits have also been shown to improve fatigue levels among survivors and the general population.

Other factors, such as obesity, can affect fatigue levels too. 60% of the American population is considered to be obese, and many cancer survivors fall into this category. Studies show that obese survivors generally experience a worse prognosis compared to similar survivors who are not obese. Obesity might affect the characteristics of tumors, but that’s a complicated scientific question. The easier effect to understand is the complication obesity presents in the form of other medical issues. Cancer and cancer treatment alone wreak havoc on the human body, yet obesity introduces the possibility of a whole host of other issues including cardiovascular disease, joint stress, gastrointestinal disorders, and mental health issues. The take home message is this – no matter whether you are in treatment, past treatment, or just concerned with preventing cancer in the first place, talk to your doctor about your weight, and consider what you might be able to do to improve your health with respect to weight.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides wonderful resources to do an initial self-assessment. To learn more about assessing your own healthy weight and taking steps to improve your health, please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/

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