NEW YORK and BANNOCKBURN, Ill., Oct. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Alarming statistics from the American Obesity Association (AOA) show that obese women are more likely to die of breast cancer than women of healthy weight and that after menopause, these women have a higher risk of developing breast cancer. This information merits increased education and action, say the nutritionists, surgeons and professionals at the Centers for Obesity Related Illness (CORI).
“There is mounting evidence and solid documentation from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other reliable sources that obesity is a disease that is related to elevated risk of breast cancer,” says James A. Sapala, M.D., physician founder of CORI and Chief of Bariatric Surgery at Saint Vincent’s Hospital-Manhattan in New York City. “There are many obesity- related conditions which uniquely or mostly affect women, but the link between obesity and breast cancer may be somewhat of an eye-opener to many females.”
The American Cancer Society estimates that 75 percent of breast cancer cases occur in women with factors, and that excess weight is an important factor. “The risk is even greater if a woman has more body fat in the upper part of her body. Although women usually have more fat in their thighs and buttocks, they tend to gain weight in their abdomens starting in their 30s, which can increase their risk,” continues Dr. Sapala.
Dr. Sapala points out that while breast cancer is often the disease that many women fear most, women need to become more aware of obesity as a risk factor. “Women who become obese as adults, particularly after menopause, place themselves at greater risk for breast cancer,” he advises. “Although the ovaries produce the most estrogen in a woman’s body, fat tissue can also convert some other hormones into estrogen. The correlation between obesity and breast cancer may involve increased estrogen levels.”
To help both women and men understand the impact of obesity on health, CORI is sponsoring a series of info sessions. During each CORI-sponsored program, CORI surgeons and professionals provide individualized obesity screening using the body mass index (BMI) guidelines, education about the impact of obesity on health, and information that will assist people who are a minimum 80 to 100 or more pounds over their ideal bodyweight learn their options for weight reduction, surgical intervention and insurance reimbursement.
Call 800-578-CORI (2674) or visit http://www.coricenters.com/gettingstarted_seminar.asp for program dates and locations.
About CORI
CORI Centers are operated by MSO Medical, Inc. with its corporate office located in Bannockburn, Illinois (Chicago suburb). MSO Medical contracts with acute care hospitals to establish Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence under the brand name CORI (Centers for Obesity Related Illness). CORI has established centers in Illinois, Michigan, New York and Florida. For more information, call 800-578-CORI (2674) or visit http://www.coricenters.com/ .
CORI Centers
CONTACT: Jessica Wolfe of CPRi Communications, +1-201-641-1911, ext. 51,or jwolfe@cpronline.com, for CORI
