Weight & Cancer Risk: How Weight Loss Can Help
- “90 Day Fiancé” star Tyray Mollett, 33, appears to be shedding some pounds going through an emotional breakup after an online relationship with the love of his life, Carmella, resulted in him being a catfish scam victim.
- It’s wonderful to se the Modesto, California, native, working toward his weight loss goals and jumping back into the dating scene on “90 Day: The Single Life” while preparing for a potential weight loss surgery.
- Obesity increases an individual’s risk of developing a range of dangerous health conditions, including several types of cancer. In addition to increasing the likelihood of developing certain cancers, obesity is associated with worse treatment outcomes.
- Dr. Andrea Tufano-Sugarman of NYU Langone Health explains to SurvivorNet the benefits of losing weight: “While all cancers cannot be prevented, losing weight is a great way to reduce one’s risk.”
- When faced with a new challenge, like losing weight, it’s important to make sure that these coping mechanisms you have to care for your mental health continue to work throughout the process.
As the Modesto, California, native, who is ready to jump back into the dating scene on “90 Day: The Single Life,” is preparing for a weight loss surgery, he’s been eating healthy and taking part in a gym support group—and his hard work is certainly paying off as his weight loss is showing, especially around his face.
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When comparing Mollett’s most recent photos to how he looked on “90 Day Fiance” it’s clear whatever he’s doing to shed some pounds before possibly undergoing weight loss surgery is working.
In a recent video clip from “90 Day Fiance: The Single Life,” shared on Instagram, Mollett opened offered some insight into his recent wellness journey, revealing he has been receiving lots of support from others with the same goals.
“I joined a fitness-based support group recently because I feel like having a community is very important to me as I step into this next phase of my life,” Mollett said.
Speaking during a group meeting at a gym, Mollett admitted, “I wanted to try and check you guys out [the gym support group] and kind of get out of my comfort zone … and also trying to look like a snack, too.”
He explained, “I just got out of a relationship, but after the breakup I was like, ‘Dang, I don’t know what to do next.’ It’s good to be at a place where people are pushing you and motivating you and stuff like that.”
Recounting on the podcast, “The Sarah Fraser Show,” Mollett opened up about how he previously got into a “cycle” of eating, drinking and going out with his buddies, and the difficulties he faced when trying to diet and change his habits.
He explained, “For me one of the hardest parts was when I would actually get on the diet, and I would mess up one meal. And I would say, ‘Oh, snap, I messed up lunch.
“So now I’m just going to eat bad for the rest of the day. Then the rest of the day turned to the rest of the week. Then it turned to the rest of the month.”
Mollett continued, “So, for me it was alway that one little mistake would make it be a bigger mistake. And that was one of the hardest parts for me, that diet and that you mess up one day and you’re like… oh I ate a hamburger, so I might as well eat six cookies.”
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As for his gastric bypass journey, something Mollett has been debating on doing, he told Frasier, “So actually, I did get in contact with the company based in California, but does procedures in Mexico, and they worked out a deal with me to get a gastric sleeve done in April.”
He added, “So, I’m still kind of debating but they basically want me to do it. I put my deposit down, so I’m just trying to still see what I can do first, because I have to do the pre-op in like a month,.
“But I’m probably, most likely going to do it. I think it’ll be good and I have to make sure that I’m good and healthy.”
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Its unclear what exactly Mollett is doing to lose the weight, but he did tell Frasier that when he often begins a weight loss journey, he usually works at eating healthier and feeling better before going to the gym to workout, to get in a better mindset.
He also pointed out how “it’s not that easy” to simply get a major surgery like a gastric bypass, adding, “You have to do a special diet even for them [the doctors] to approve it.
Mollett has been a victim to negative comments online, but he’s also received praise from fans for working toward his weight loss goals. He’s also maintained a positive outlook on his weight loss journey.
“I’m really in control of my mental [health] and I have a really good support system … so, I’m in control of that, ” he said, referring to when some people have some harsh commentary on the internet.
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Obesity & Cancer Risk
Tyray Mollett is hoping to get in better shape to feel better about himself and prepare for potentially undergoing a a gastric bypass, a surgery that leads to long-term weight loss.
We’re delighted the “90 Day Fiance” star is doing what he can to get in better shape, especially because obesity increases an individual’s risk of developing a range of dangerous health conditions, including several types of cancer. In addition to increasing the likelihood of developing certain cancers, obesity is associated with worse treatment outcomes.
In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Stephen Freedland of Cedars Sinai Medical Center said, “Some of the best data we have is that obesity increases the risk of not just getting prostate cancer, but actually dying from prostate cancer. Obese men are 35 percent more likely to die from prostate cancer.”
RELATED: The Link Between Obesity and Prostate Cancer
While obesity or a person’s high weight will not always cause them to develop cancer, other conditions associated obesity, like diabetes and heart disease, can lead to complications from cancer treatment if a person already has cancer. In addition, these conditions can sometimes prevent patients from receiving the recommended first-line therapies, as well as increase a patient’s risk of undergoing surgery.
Dr. Andrea Tufano-Sugarman of NYU Langone Health explained to SurvivorNet the benefits of losing weight.
“While all cancers cannot be prevented,” she said, “losing weight is a great way to reduce one’s risk.”
Dr. Tufano-Sugarman said that this is especially true for women; they lower their risk of developing breast cancer and endometrial cancer when they lose weight and keep it of.
How Can Diet Affect My Cancer Risk?
Even without losing weight, adopting a more nutritious diet can help.
“Food choices, independent of weight loss, may also help to reduce risk,” Dr. Tufano-Sugarman said.
“Research has shown that the Mediterranean diet (rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes, fish and olive oil) is associated with a decreased risk of cancer. Whereas diets rich in red meat may be associated with an increased risk of colorectal and prostate cancer.”
Diet and Exercise Considerations for Cancer Survivors
Although Mollett has never battled cancer, we think its important to point out that it’s never a bad idea to try to lead a healthy lifestyle. But what should you know about maintaining good health and cancer risk? We’ve got you covered below.[
Thinking about Diet
Healthy diet recommendations for cancer-related concerns can differ depending upon who you ask.
Studies have shown that diet can influence cancer prevention. Heavy alcohol consumption and obesity have been linked to a number of cancers, so it’s a good idea to exercise and maintain a diet that incorporates more fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins while decreasing sodium and added sugar intake.
Sugar, specifically, has attracted a lot of attention for a possible role in cancer, but overwhelming medical evidence finds that sugar does not cause cancer. SurvivorNet has previously found that credible sources such as Memorial Sloan-Kettering and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center all came to that same conclusion as well.
But there is still some debate on the subject. Dr. Brian Berman, director of the center for integrative medicine at the University of Maryland, believes sugar does, in fact, fuel cancer.
Below we have shared his views not because it is of equal scientific weight to the sources cited above, but rather because it is a view that does get a lot of attention and press.
Sugar, The Western Diet And Cancer Prevention
There’s also articles that often get published saying “this fruit” or “that vegetable” is the magical cure to cancer. Unfortunately, that’s not necessarily the case.
Leading oncologists say it is always hard to use studies of a single food to make sweeping generalizations about their impact on health.
There is a variety of factors that can determine health risk and it is difficult, and perhaps impossible, to say that a single food such as mushrooms can have a direct impact on cancer risk. Many other factors such as overall diet, environmental risk, genetics and exercise play a role.
Dr. Ken Miller says a healthy diet and regular workout routine are important
Coping With Body Changes
People, including those diagnosed with cancer, should strive for a healthy lifestyle. Maintaining a proper diet filled with fruits and vegetables and exercising – even minimally – can benefit overall health.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, “Being overweight or having obesity are linked with a higher risk of getting 13 types of cancer.”
Body weight that exceeds what the body mass index (BMI) deems appropriate for your weight and height can help determine body fat content. Although your BMI can help you learn if you are at a healthy weight, underweight, overweight, or obese, other factors may contribute to your overall health.
WATCH: Coping with body image.
Being Optimistic & Coping With Mental Health Long Term
It’s also important to take cate of your mental health while you are going through a health challenge, like a cancer diagnosis, or even just trying to lose weight, is certainly a process.
People may turn to many different avenues to help them cope, such as traditional therapy, support groups, meditation, and sometimes medical intervention such as antidepressants.
When faced with a new challenge, it’s important to make sure that these coping mechanisms you have to care for your mental health continue to work throughout the process.
“I think flexibility is really a core of how to manage it,” Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist and author, previously told SurvivorNet. “Are your coping strategies that you’re using now, are they helpful in the way that they were in the past?”
Dr. Boardman encourages people who may be struggling with their mental well-being to take stock of their belief system and ask themselves the following questions:
- Could these beliefs be harming me (like feelings of self-doubt or negativity)?
- Is my mindset holding me back from positive steps forward?
Dr. Boardman suggests working to recognize any negative thoughts that may be making the process of cancer treatment more difficult, and trying to dismantle those to be more “realistically optimistic.”
SurvivorNetTV Presents: Breaking the Cycle The Power of Mindset
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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