Health

• Over 60 percent of U.S. adult women are overweight and just over one-third of overweight adult women are obese. Obesity is defined as being 20% above the ideal weight for height and overweight is defined as having excess body weight relative to height.

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States, and women account for nearly 50% of heart disease deaths.

• Heart disease is the third leading cause of death among women aged 25–44 years, the second leading cause of death among women aged 45–64 years and the leading cause of death among women aged 65 years and older.  

• 12.6 million, or 10.8% of all women aged 20 years or older have diabetes. 25.8 million children and adults in the United States—8.3% of the population—have diabetes.

• The three most common and life threatening cancers among women are breast cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer.

• For women under the age of 60, the risk of death from breast cancer is about the same as the risk from heart disease.

• Alzheimer’s disease is the fifth leading cause of death among men and women aged 65 and older. Overall, women are nearly twice as likely as men to die of Alzheimer’s disease (2.4 versus 1.3 deaths per 1,000 aged 65 and older).

What do all these facts and numbers have in common? Nutrition, fitness, and hormones all play a role in increasing or decreasing a woman’s chance of these diseases, plus many others.

Women’s Health Studies Findings

• Exercise decreases your risk of cancer, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and more.
• The use of alcohol is clearly linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. Women who have 2 to 5 drinks daily have about 1½ times the risk of women who drink no alcohol. Too much alcohol use is also known to increase the risk of several other types of cancer.
• Being overweight or obese is linked to a higher risk of breast cancer, especially for postmenopausal  women.
• High fat, alcohol or red meat intake are risk factors for cancer, obesity, and heart disease.
• Increasing physical activity, consumption of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and reducing the intake of red meat will reduce the risk of colon cancer as well as many other cancers, diseases, and other health risks.
• Recent research suggest that a healthy lifestyle including a diet low in fat and rich in omega-3 fatty acids, controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, avoiding head injuries can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.
• Calcium levels in a woman's bones begin to diminish toward the end of her fertile years and drop dramatically in just a few years after menopause, no matter how good her nutritional regime.

Healthy Choices for Women

1. Don't smoke and limit exposure to secondhand smoke.
2. Eat a healthy diet, emphasizing whole grains, fruits and vegetables, with moderate amounts of protein and little fat.
3. Maintain a healthy weight.
4. Exercise at least 30 minutes per day.
5. Drink alcohol in moderation.
6. Reduce stress.
7. Limit exposure to the sun and use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 when outdoors.
8. Get plenty of sleep.
9. Discuss your risk factors and family medical history with an Ageology physician.
10. Optimize hormone levels under the supervised care of a qualified physician.

You can prevent or delay the onset of disease through a healthy lifestyle. Change your diet, increase your level of physical activity, maintain a healthy weight... these positive steps will help women stay healthier longer and reduce the risk of many diseases and health risks. 

Subscribe to Ageology to stay in touch with the best practices in nutrition, fitness, health, and hormones, or contact a Chicago-based Ageology physician to learn more!