The pink ribbon campaign is unanimously associated with breast cancer. The idea is immediately recognizable. When you see a pink ribbon, or a pink pair of cleats on a football player, or a group of actors donning bright pink t-shirts, you know right away that they are raising awareness about breast cancer.

Breast cancer is one of the most common and most deadly types of cancer among women. It is an agonizing disease that impacts the entire family. And being obese significantly increases your risk of experiencing it.

Obesity and Breast Cancer: The Connection

Obesity has long been recognized as increasing the risk of a long list of chronic health concerns. Obesity makes you more likely to have a heart attack, to experience a stroke, to develop type-2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and gallbladder disease. Obesity also increases your risk of developing severe anxiety or depression, and can even raise issues of infertility.

Cancer has also commonly been part of this discussion regarding obesity related diseases, but breast cancer specifically never really came into play. That is until recently, when researchers from Ohio State University found that there is a complex but clear relationship between obesity and breast cancer. Essentially, obesity increases the risk for gene mutation in the breast tissue, making it more likely that you will develop breast cancer. This risk is heightened even more for women who have  a personal or family history of breast cancer, or who have personally experienced cancer elsewhere in their body.

The good news about most obesity-related diseases is that when you lose weight, the risk for developing those health conditions also decreases. The same is true for breast cancer. Being obese increases your risk for developing breast cancer, but losing weight reduces that risk. This is why if you have any personal or family history of cancer, talking your weight loss surgeon about bariatric surgery options that make sense for you is a really good idea.

Weight loss surgery is the most effective method for weight loss. Working with a weight loss surgeon provides you with ongoing support and guidance as you make healthier dietary choices and begin increasing your physical activity level. The physical support that weight loss surgery provides makes it easier to cut calories as you become hungry less often, putting your weight loss goals within your reach.

If you are worried about how to lose weight, then contact your weight loss surgeon to learn more about the best weight loss options in Atlanta.