By Emily Riedel,MRCW Medical EditorA new study has found that women’s breast health is not as strong as they claim, and that their exercise routines are not so varied as they thought.
In a series of observational studies, scientists have been looking at the relationship between exercise, weight gain, and breast cancer.
The new study, published in the journal BMC Medicine, used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to track the health of more than 17,000 women from all 50 states and the District of Columbia from 2007 to 2013.
Researchers found that the average BMI in the women who participated in the study was 27.6.
That’s higher than the national average of 25.4.
The women who were overweight were much more likely to have an underlying condition such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
The researchers found that overweight women were at a greater risk for breast cancer and were more likely than their normal weight peers to suffer from other conditions, such as high blood cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease.
“The data from this study does not support the idea that exercise is somehow related to breast cancer risk,” the study authors wrote.
“Exercise may not only be a good option for weight loss and increased health and wellbeing, but also for prevention of cancer.”
Dr. Rebecca Cogdell, a senior scientist in the Division of Women’s Health at the National Institutes of Health, told Medical News Day that the study highlights the need to keep a healthy weight.
“I think that we need to be aware that exercise can be a preventive option that can also help to decrease your risk for developing cancer,” she said.
“It’s not as if there’s not evidence that exercise may help with weight loss.
But that doesn’t mean that exercise doesn’t have health benefits.”
The researchers say they hope their study will lead to more research into exercise and weight loss, and to better understand what kinds of activities people should and shouldn’t do.
“If we want to prevent cancer, then we need more evidence about exercise and its impact on our health and wellness,” Dr. Cogidell said.
“We need to know if we can encourage people to do things that are good for their health, such the exercise that’s right for them, such a diet that’s good for them and good for the environment.”
