Weight gain among men and women, especially as they age, has been credited with a plethora of age-related health problems. As a chiropractor, I encourage my patients, young and older, to watch their weight, as excess weight can lead to a number of problems that will eventually require chiropractic treatment in addition to weight-related health issues. Today I read another reason why men, in particular, should live in moderation, including their weight:
Men who gain a considerable amount of weight after their “20s” face a higher risk of prostate cancer than those who remain close to their more youthful weight. Researchers followed nearly 84,000 middle-aged and older U.S. men followed for about a decade, and found that white and African-American men who had gained weight since the age of 21 had a higher risk of developing prostate cancer.
It may depend on race as to how much weight is “too much” weight as a man ages. But, for a white male, the amount of weight increase, though, isn’t all that much. Compared with those who gained fewer than 10 pounds, while males who gained more than that had twice the risk of being diagnosed with advanced or aggressive prostate cancer. Among black men, the risks began increasing after a 25-pound weight gain. Japanese men, in a surprising contrast, actually saw their prostate cancer decline with weight gain.
As anyone over 30 knows, gaining weight becomes easier as we age. Why? One reason is that the body doesn’t utilize calories in the same way it did when we were younger or release it as quickly. Since we can’t “go back” and not gain the weight, it’s important to make lifestyle changes that will help us to lose the added weight, slowly and permanently (no fad diets!)
So men, listen up! Eat a healthy diet and get regularly exercise. This will help you to either stay at a healthy weight or get back to it. Do it for the health of your entire body, not just your prostate!