Bodytalk
Question: I'm hearing conflicting opinions regarding the impact of dietary fat on breast cancer. What's your opinion? Dietary fat can increase
risk in breast cancerAnswer: The Harvard Medical School says in its newsletter: "There is reason to associate fat consumption with breast cancer risk."
In countries where the populations eat a relatively high percentage of dietary fat the breast cancer rates are higher. In laboratory tests, high-fat diets stimulate the growth of breast tumors in rats, and fish oil diets inhibit them.
The Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of a study earlier this year which found that as fat consumption increased, so did breast cancer risk.
Then, there's the Nurses' Health Study. These researchers found no evidence that either fat intake or intake of specific types of fat increased the risk of breast cancer.
So who's a person to believe? No wonder you're confused. You asked for my opinion, so here it is. As dietary fat consumption increases, so does the incidence of obesity, and obesity is a risk factor in breast cancer. So whether or not specific fats increase your risk of developing breast cancer, too much dietary fat does increase your risk of obesity, and therefore indirectly at least it increases your risk of breast cancer.
Whatever future studies tell us, a low-fat diet is still the healthiest choice. A low-fat, high-fiber diet also reduces your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and diabetes II.
Q: I'm about to buy a treadmill. Can you recommend a specific model?
A: There are too many variables for me to recommend a specific model. I will give you some guidelines to follow when shopping for a treadmill.
The first thing you must consider is price. Treadmills start at around $600 and go as high as $4,000.
Next is size. How much room do you have to store the treadmill? How important is style and appearance? Even the smallest treadmill tends to dominate the room it's in.
How fast do you want the treadmill to eventually go? Remember that as you increase your fitness level, your training heart rate goes up and you'll need to go faster to continue working at an aerobic pace.
Do you want a hill program? Hill programs are a good idea because they're an excellent way to increase the intensity of a training workload.
How about other features, such as pre-set programs for interval training or weight loss? Make sure that the computer format is user-friendly.
What are your weight limit requirements? How heavy is the heaviest person using the treadmill?
The treadmill should be durable. It should have good cushion impact. This becomes even more important as an individual grows older, because the joints of older adults are more susceptible to injury.
If noise is a consideration, be sure to check on how loud the machine is. Some treadmills are very loud.
The equipment should be smooth. There will always be some level of vibration, but it should remain relatively stable at various speeds and grades.
Look for a good warranty and check to see if the retailer offers equipment repair.
I recommend that you spend a minimum of 10 minutes on any piece of equipment under consideration. Take the time to shop around. Treadmills tend to be big ticket items, so look for sales.
Stephenie Karony is a certified health
and fitness instructor, a personal trainer and the author of
"Body Shaping with Free Weights." Send questions to her at
P.O. Box 262, Wailuku Hi. Her column appears on Wednesdays.