Weight & Cancer Risk: How Weight Loss Can Help
- “Pretty Little Liars” actress Ashley Benson has insisted she hasn’t used weight loss drugs, like Ozempic, to shed pounds after giving birth to her daughter earlier this year. Benson, who celebrated her mom beating cancer four years ago, responded to critics on her Instagram this week.
- Ozempic, the brand name of Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide, the highly popular new drug also known under the brand names Rybelsu and Wegovy, is an FDA-approved prescription medication for adults with type 2 diabetes. The drug, which is administered as a weekly injection, assists the body by helping the pancreas make more insulin, ultimately lowering blood sugar levels. Although it has not been FDA-approved for weight loss, the drug has been prescribed by some doctors.
- If you’re considering taking a weight loss drug, talk with your care team about whether that’s a good option for you. And make sure you consider good diet and exercise practices as a part of your treatment plan.
- Being overweight or obese is clearly linked to an overall increased risk of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. One of our experts say “losing weight is a great way to reduce one’s risk” for cancers.
- It’s also important to know that conditions caused or exasperated by obesity like diabetes and heart disease can pose problems for people who’ve already been diagnosed with cancer.
The 34-year-old, who celebrated her mom beating cancer about four years ago, shared a photo of her trim figure, wearing athleisure and her “fav” hat, in a recent Instagram post and received comments on her postpartum weight loss, with some Instagram users suggesting she didn’t lose the baby weight naturally.
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“But don’t discredit people who also work very hard to get their body back like I’ve done with mine.”
Benson added, “Getting back to work forced me to focus on my health and working out and I wanted to feel confident and good about myself.
“And again couldn’t do this without my @melissawoodtepperberg app.”
The app, created by TV personality, Melissa Wood-Tepperberg she was referring to is titled “MWH,” and described by The App Store as “a health, wellness & lifestyle platform on a mission to create a more mindful way of life, accessible and attainable for all.
The foundation of MWH is about moving your body and doing meditation when possible to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Expert Resources On Healthy Living
- 8 Secrets to a Long, Healthy Life: Jacques Houot and the Fountain of Youth
- Exercise and ‘Chemo Brain’: Can Physical Activity Save Breast Cancer Patients from Brain Fog During Chemotherapy?
- What to Know About Diet and Exercise if You Have Cancer
- SurvivorNetTV Presents ‘How Not To Get Cancer: Diet’ — The Power of Prevention & Healthy Habits
- Dig This: The Obstacles to Eating Healthy, and What You Can Do About It
- Sugar, The Western Diet And Cancer Prevention
However, not all the commentary on Benson’s post were negative, as one fan wrote, “People are so jealous. 9/10 times someone who lives an active/healthy lifestyle of consistently moving their body& working out, they bounce back quicker & it also helps that their body had the muscle beforehand.
“If you don’t take care of your body and you don’t exercise then of course it is hard for you to bounce back. If you don’t eat relatively healthy or clean and aren’t moving your body, you will see that.”
Another commented, “You look amaaaazing. That takes serious dedication and motivation every day. Be proud.”
Benson’s weight loss comes just a couple of months after welcoming her and her 43-year-old husband Brandon Davis’s daughter, who was born on February 29.
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Health Risks Associated With Ozempic
Ozempic, the brand name of Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide, the highly popular new drug also known under the brand names Rybelsu and Wegovy, is an FDA-approved prescription medication for adults with type 2 diabetes. The drug, which is administered as a weekly injection, assists the body by helping the pancreas make more insulin, ultimately lowering blood sugar levels. Although it has not been FDA-approved for weight loss, the drug has been prescribed by some doctors.
Although people have had success with weight loss thanks to Ozempic, it’s important to understand there are dangers associated with the drug. Healthcare company Lexicomp recently revealed there are negative side effects of the medication, including an increased risk of cancer.
Lexicomp explains Ozempic as “an injectable prescription medicine for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus that: along with diet and exercise may improve blood sugar (glucose),” noting it’s not the first choice of medicine for treating diabetes.
As for the most important information people should know before taking the drug, Lexicomp says Ozempic may cause serious side effects. Some of the possible side effects include:
- inflammation of your pancreas (pancreatitis)
- changes in vision
- low blood sugar, kidney problems
- kidney failure
- serious allergic reactions.
“The most common side effects of OZEMPIC may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach (abdominal) pain and constipation. Talk to your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or does not go away,” Lexicomp states. “These are not all the possible side effects of OZEMPIC. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.”
The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center also says, regarding Lexicomp’s warning, “This drug has been shown to cause thyroid cancer in some animals. It is not known if this happens in humans.
“If thyroid cancer happens, it may be deadly if not found and treated early. Call your doctor right away if you have a neck mass, trouble breathing, trouble swallowing, or have hoarseness that will not go away. Do not use this drug if you have a health problem called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2), or if you or a family member have had thyroid cancer.”
The side effects that call for immediate medical attention, in regard to all uses of the drug, the MSKCC lists as:
- Signs of an allergic reaction, like rash; hives; itching; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin with or without fever; wheezing; tightness in the chest or throat; trouble breathing, swallowing, or talking; unusual hoarseness; or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat.
- Signs of kidney problems like unable to pass urine, change in how much urine is passed, blood in the urine, or a big weight gain.
- Signs of gallbladder problems like pain in the upper right belly area, right shoulder area, or between the shoulder blades; change in stools; dark urine or yellow skin or eyes; or fever with chills.
- Severe dizziness or passing out.
- A fast heartbeat.
- Change in eyesight.
- Low blood sugar can happen. The chance may be raised when this drug is used with other drugs for diabetes. Signs may be dizziness, headache, feeling sleepy or weak, shaking, fast heartbeat, confusion, hunger, or sweating. Call your doctor right away if you have any of these signs. Follow what you have been told to do for low blood sugar. This may include taking glucose tablets, liquid glucose, or some fruit juices.
Severe and sometimes deadly pancreas problems (pancreatitis) have happened with this drug. Call your doctor right away if you have severe stomach pain, severe back pain, or severe upset stomach or throwing up.
For anyone using the drug for weight loss, they should speak with their doctor if they notice “new or worse behavior or mood changes like depression or thoughts of suicide.”
How Does Semaglutide Work?
Integral to blood sugar control, GLP-1 is a hormone released by the gut in response to food. It causes the pancreas to release insulin. A rising blood insulin level causes all the body tissues to start absorbing glucose (blood sugar) from the bloodstream, thereby lowering blood glucose levels. GLP-1 also prevents the release of glucagon, which is a hormone that raises blood sugar levels by stimulating liver cells to release glucose and helps people feel full for longer. These effects can also cause people to lose weight.
Modern studies on GLP-1 have shown that it has a role beyond glucose control. It modulates the immune system cells, including NK cells, in a way necessary for weight loss.
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, meaning that it mimics the effects of GLP-1 in the body. Given as weekly subcutaneous injections It is normally prescribed to manage blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. It also leads to a significant amount of weight loss in these patients.
Although semaglutide has been approved for blood sugar control in people with type II diabetes, under the brand name Ozempic, and for weight loss under the brand name Wegovy, it has not been approved for use as an immune booster and cancer preventative. Thus, it should not be prescribed for that purpose. Those taking it to control their diabetes or weight, however, can expect the additional benefit of improving their immunity. as per a recent study, and lowering their cancer risk, as a link between weight and cancer does exist.
Obesity & Cancer Risk
We’re happy to see Benson maintaining her fitness and overall health, as it’s important to understand that 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.”
Dr. Ken Miller says a healthy diet and regular workout routine are important
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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