A lead article in the Mail today by Jenni Murray (writer and BBC Women’s Hour presenter), who was dx with BC a few years ago. bit.ly/va4QV2
She recently had her annual check-up, and in the article cites discussions with specialists about her weight and how it might - or might not - affect her risk of recurrence or progression. Interesting addition to this debate.
Marilyn x
Thanks for the link.
Thank you for the interesting link.
I think it’s great that Jenni is airing the issue, and I think she got the balance right by saying it is a major factor, but not the only major factor (genes, environment and bad luck being the others).
I guess my only little quibble is that she touched on the difficulties of losing weight in a food obsessed society, but then backed off, and went back to considering obesity as a problem for individuals rather than an endemic social problem. I did read that if someone is more that two stone overweight, the chances of them losing weight, and keeping it off for more than five years, is about 0.5%. So I really think it’s an issue that has to be tackled by society as a whole.
Thanks - such an important topic.
Quote:
… As I’m someone in that 0.5%, give me a soapbox and I’ll shout “it is possible”! but it took the shock of being dx with bc and bone mets that motivated me.
Quote:
Yes indeed. Weigh and measure everyone at routine mammo time?
PS. I like the diet she mentions… even if one has a “small plates day” once a week, it can help, and most of my favourite foods are on the Mediterranean list 
I’ve always enjoyed listening to her on the radio, and reading her realistic response to her own cancer and the “blame” that we feel almost obliged to take on, was very refreshing. Some of the comments underneath the article were quite ridiculous though, so I stopped reading them.
Those comments are awful, I agree with ChoccieMuffin.
But did anyone notice that Linda in Fife and Mary in Wales both described Weight Watchers in exactly the same words? although Linda went on longer.
Margaret (rather sick of doctors who keep saying if I lose weight I will solve all my problems)
Oh, sorry, I misread it - one was quoting the other. This chemo brain is no good.
Margaret
Mrs Blue, I am glad you agree with me that obesity is not just an individuals problem, but a social problem as well. Thing is though, I think as a society we need to arrange things to help people from becoming obese in the first place. I think people like Jamie Oliver have done a good job by highlighting the rubbish that was being fed to our kids, but the trend that has been going on with regard to selling off school playing fields has not been helpful at all. The other thing that could be tackled in my view is the advertising of high fat/sugar foods, and why can’t TV/radio/newspapers/magazines feature chefs who can concoct imaginative tasty food using herbs and spices to flavour it, rather than butter, cream and sugar? The NHS should also dedicate more resources into helping people, because just handing a person a diet sheet is virtually useless without support.
I’m not sure about your suggestion of weighing people when they go for a mammogram - seems a bit punitive, and might discourage women from going.