Obesity Increases Prostate Cancer Risk in African-American Men

It turns out that there is a clear racial factor associated with prostate cancer risk, and it shows its ugly face when a man becomes clinically obese. In fact, it is African-American men who are now shown to be more likely candidates for developing prostate cancer once they gain a significant amount of weight. This news comes as a surprise to many modern men, but the facts remain according to several recent studies, including one performed by scholars with the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Understanding the Fundamentals of Obesity

Obesity is a prevalent problem which currently plagues millions of people from all over the globe. It affects men, women, and children, and it can have some serious consequences. Defined by a person having a BMI of 30 or more, obesity brings grave danger to the doorsteps of today’s African-American male, including increase prostate cancer risk. This disadvantage may have a lot to do with the fact that African-American men typically have a naturally higher BMI than their white male counterparts. Research is still being conducted to find a concise link between BMI and prostate cancer risk in this demographic.

How Race Plays an Important Role

Out of 35,000 American, Canadian, Puerto Rican men tested, African-American men who were obese had a 112% increased prostate cancer risk than their brethren. While studies are currently underway to explain this phenomenon, nobody can quite explain why it happens. Speculation as to the underlying causes of this include factors such as unique genetic markers, physical predisposition, blood type, and even cultural lifestyle habits. Regardless of what reasons are eventually discovered, it seems as though African-American men will now have to keep an even closer eye on their weight if they want to remain healthy.

Avoiding Prostate Cancer

Understanding what obesity entails is one thing, but if you are an African-American male who weighs too much you might actually be in harm’s way. Prostate cancer risk is a serious problem for any man, so being able to avoid it can spell the difference between life and death in certain situations. Avoiding prostate cancer may be as simple as adopting a healthier lifestyle and eating habits, or by participating in enough exercise to keep obesity at bay. It is never recommended that you take extreme measures to manage your weight. Speak with a doctor or a certified nutritionist before you do anything drastic, even if you believe it to be safe and/or effective.