Losing weight was once about looking good in a swimsuit, but recent studies suggest that staying fit can help prevent colon cancer. According to a report by the British Broadcasting Company, researchers from the University of California in San Diego found in a study that the hormone Leptin, released by fat cells, may cause an increase in the growth of colon cancer cells. Dorothy Cain, nurse coordinator for corporate wellness at Ochsner Hospital, said weight gain is always an issue for the human body. “Anytime there is a weight gain, it’s going to affect the hormones,” she said. Some students said they are not concerned with the results of the study. “It doesn’t surprise me,” said Meagan Stewart, mass communication sophomore. “I think almost everything can cause cancer.” Stewart said she thinks there should be increased awareness of the link between weight and colon cancer “because it might be a bigger incentive to become healthier.” Jared Brockman, chemical engineering freshman, disagrees. Brockman said obesity is already over-publicized. “They already do so much awareness for obesity that everyone knows it’s a problem,” he said. But other students said they are alarmed by the results of the study. “It scares me because obesity is becoming an overwhelming problem in America, which means colon cancer will become a bigger problem,” said Courtney Carpenter, pre-nursing freshman. The most recent statistics on obesity show it is an increasing problem within the United States, according to the Weight-control Information Network, a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The statistics show that 17.4 percent of adolescents, people aged 12 to 19, are overweight. Another 34.3 percent of adolescents are at risk of being overweight. These calculations come from calculating a person’s body-mass index. BMI is a calculation that considers height and weight to determine whether a person is overweight, underweight, normal weight or obese. Cain also said cholesterol was a good “indicator of a problem” and recommends being aware of cholesterol levels in the body.
—–Contact Rachael Moreau atrmoreau@lsureveille.com