Cancer Decisions - Free Newsletter -August 7, 2005

HERE AT THE MOSS REPORTS

This week, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published a study showing that greater body size, waist circumference and high body mass index (BMI) are related to a five-fold increase in the risk of developing myeloid leukemia, a malignant disease of the white blood cells, from which upwards of 9,000 people die each year in the US alone.

Researchers speculate that obesity may significantly alter immune function, leading to an increased risk of developing this and other cancers. They also suggest that the chronic hyperinsulinemia (presence of persistently elevated levels of insulin in the blood) that commonly accompanies obesity may be associated with an increase in the circulating level of a highly biologically active compound known as insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). IGF-1 has been been shown to increase the rate of cell proliferation and has been linked to the development of several of the more common, and lethal, kinds of cancer.

By now we are all aware that obesity is not only undesirable, it is positively unhealthy. But the increasingly strong evidence of an association with cancer makes it even more important for all of us to take control of our weight and to adopt sound nutritional habits for life. And for those who have battled cancer and survived, the need to eat healthily and maintain a steady, optimum weight is even more important. Good nutrition and careful weight management have been shown to correlate with increased survival in a number of cancers, including breast, bowel and prostate cancer.

For the past thirty years I have studied the evolving field of cancer, and have written extensively about cancer research and treatment, investigating claims and counterclaims, with the aim of enabling cancer patients and their families to make truly informed decisions and treatment choices.

The Moss Reports is a series of detailed individual reports on more than 200 different kinds of cancer. Each of these reports analyzes the current available treatments, both conventional and alternative, and offers the cancer patient a clear-eyed, truthful assessment of the available options. The Moss Reports also include detailed nutritional advice for those who are recovering from cancer, and wish to prevent recurrences.

I also offer phone consultations. A phone consultation can be enormously helpful in drawing up a treatment strategy and getting one's options clearly prioritized. To schedule an appointment, please call 1-800-980-1234 (814-238-3367 from outside the US).

If you would like to order a Moss Report for yourself or someone you love, you can do so from our website, www.cancerdecisions.com, or by calling Diane at 1-800-980-1234 (814-238-3367 from outside the US).

We look forward to helping you.

INNERSCAN

I couldn't help myself. Browsing on Amazon the other day, I plunked down $119.99 for a bathroom scale. Well, not just any old bathroom scale, but a Tanita BC533 Glass InnerScan Body Composition Monitor.

The InnerScan was released earlier this year, and is growing in popularity, in part because of a rave review in US News and World Report. The magazine called it "a scale that people can't wait to step on."

What's so great about the InnerScan? True, it tells you your weight to within two-tenths of a pound. But that's the least of its functions. It's really a high-tech diagnostic tool, of the kind that even few doctors possessed a few years ago. It employs "bioelectrical impedance analysis" (BIA) to accurately tell you, well, what you're made of.

You enter in your age, height, weight and gender. When you stand on it barefoot (your feet have to be reasonably clean, as well) the scale then sends a small, safe electrical current through your body. (You can't feel it.)

After a few seconds it provides you with accurate measurements of the following:

Weight
Body Fat Percentage
Body Water Percentage
Daily Caloric Intake (i.e., amount necessary to maintain current weight)
Bone Mass (i.e., pounds of calcium and other minerals in your body)
Muscle Mass
Physique Rating
Visceral Fat Rating (the amount of fat around your inner organs)
Metabolic Age (the typical age of someone with your physique)

BIA used to only be available in a few doctors' offices. You would lie on a table and electrolyte gel and spot electrodes were placed on your hands and bare feet. Then a current of 50 kHz was introduced into your body. Not exactly an ordeal, but not exactly convenient, either.

Now a Japanese electronics company, Tanita, has introduced this amazing home device. It uses what is called leg-to-leg bioimpedance analysis. In this system, two footpad electrodes (activated by pressure contact) are incorporated into the platform of the scale. How does bioimpedance work? Basically, it takes longer for the electronic signals to get through fat than muscle, so, based on its readings, the scale - or rather, the body composition monitor - can accurately read what's under your skin.

A microprocessor that is imbedded in the machine measures the impedance, taking into account your gender, height, fitness level, weight and age to determine your body fat percentage, based on certain esoteric calculations and formulas.

I have heard that next year, Tanita will release a monitor that targets specific body sections, so you can know, for example, how much fat is in your left arm. Can't wait!

I'm not about to reveal my own personal data, but let's just say that when I used the monitor in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations (as well as other information available on the Internet) it was very revealing of the true state of my physique. It provides a way of monitoring the hydration of the body (water percentage). As I suspected, I turned out to be slightly dehydrated and have accordingly stepped up my consumption of water. (By the way, this was more convincing than a dozen stern lectures on the importance of H2O.)

It has also spurred on my struggle to lose weight, decrease body fat, and increase my exercise and physical activity. It is neither vanity nor a belated midlife crisis that has sparked my determination to take command of my weight and increase my fitness. Rather, I am seeking to reduce my risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Study after study has shown, convincingly, that there are strong associations between obesity and the risk of developing various kinds of cancer, including colon cancer, kidney and esophageal cancer, as well as the most aggressive kind of prostate cancer. (In women, the risk of breast and uterine cancer has also been found to be associated with excess weight.)

How accurate is InnerScan? I believe it is very accurate, provided you follow some simple guidelines. It is absolutely necessary that you find a level floor on which to take the readings (not so easy when you live in a 200 year-old house, as I do). But once that's done, it can be remarkable. The company warns that, other than weight and body fat, the scale will not be accurate in people under 18. Nevertheless, just as a test I agreed to weigh an 11-year-old of my acquaintance. We arbitrarily entered his age as 21. But the scale was not fooled. Undaunted by our attempt at deception, it reported that his metabolic age was 12. (He was thrilled to pick up the extra year.) I later learned, via the Internet, that 12 is the minimum metabolic age and 50 the maximum metabolic age that the machine can register, which limits its usefulness in that category.

Checking on Amazon, I find that the company has now cut the price from the $119.99 that I paid to just $99.99, with free shipping. I'm also going to get a $30 gift certificate as well. (This rebate offer has been carried over until August 31, 2005.)

In either case, they've made all this wonderful technology available for under $100. I am making up a simple database to track my progress on a month-by-month basis.

I love the feeling of being able to chart my progress towards a leaner, better hydrated and less corpulent body. It's a real challenge to move those numbers, but the scale gives me something tangible to aim for. If you are a complete technophobe, this scale is probably not for you. But if you can overcome the slight learning curve involved in using it, $100 is a small price to pay for this little technological marvel.

To order the scale click here or go to:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0007Y6BS4/cancerdecisio-20/ref=nosim/103-4342090-4609406

--Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.

References:

Hallet, Vicki. Weighty matters. New scales analyze how fat your body really is. US News, May 16, 2005. Retrieved July 27, 2005 from:
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/050516/16tech.div.htm

Tanita’s website:
http://tanitascale.com/home_scales/bc533.html

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IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

The news and other items in this newsletter are intended for informational purposes only. Nothing in this newsletter is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice.