Each year in the U.S., obesity causes more than 100,000 cases of preventable cancer. Cancer is the #2 cause of death in America. Obesity-related diseases account for 10% of all medical spending in the U.S. or $147 billion per year.

Estimates of cancer types each year that could be prevented if Americans maintained proper weight:

- Colon cancer - 9% or 13,200 cases
- Breast cancer - 17% or 33,000 cases
- Kidney cancer - 24% or 13,900 cases
- Endometrium cancer - 49% or 20,700 cases

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This month's newsletter from Dole features six articles and more to improve your health.

The Diet Center discusses how sprints can rev up your metabolism, why too many bathroom trips in the middle of the night may signal health trouble, and promotes a new pregnancy brouchure.

The Nutrition Desk, meanwhile, looks at pancreatic cancer prevention in honor of Patrick Swazye's passing, how broccoli helps combat COPD, and numerous benefits of whole grains. Read The Newsletter

In July last year, New York city mandated that fast food restaurants post calorie information on their menus.

Researchers have surveyed thousands of customers and found that diners who saw and acted on calorie information bought food containing 106 fewer calories on average than those who did not notice the postings.

"Dietary change is likely to come gradually; it will start with consumers interested in making informed, healthy eating decisions and we hope industry will respond by offering more healthier choices and appropriate portion sizes," said an expert.

California has a similar law in effect. Read The Article

A survey conducted in 2007 and a recent study found that a large percentage of people who are obese or overweight were mistaken about the severity of their weight problem.

Eighty-two percent of obese people surveyed in 2007 considered themselves to be simply overweight; among those who were in fact only overweight, close to 1 in 3 believed that they were normal weight.

In the recent study, researchers questioned nearly 450 students in grades 5 to 8 about their weight. Sixty-two percent of the overweight boys and nearly one-third of the overweight girls thought of themselves as normal or even underweight.

What's important to understand is that these cutoff points between different weight categories -- "normal," "overweight" and "obese" -- are not arbitrary. The numbers are based on data and correspond to points at which the risk of weight-related diseases jump

With two-thirds of Americans weighing more than they should, confusion is understandable. Overweight has become our new normal.
Are You Overweight?
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The Centers for Disease Control reports that 9 in 10 high school students do not eat enough fruits and vegetables.

A national survey of about 100,000 high school students in 2007 shows that only 13 percent of U.S. high school students get at least three servings of vegetables a day and just 32 percent get two servings of fruit. Less than 1 in 10 get enough of both combined.

Federal nutrition goals for 2010 call for at least 75 percent of Americans to eat two servings of fruit each day and at least 50 percent to eat three vegetable servings.

"This is a call for states, communities, schools and families to support increased fruit and vegetable consumption," said a CDC senior scientist who worked on the report. Read The Article

Health Magazine tapped experts to discuss triggers or causes of overeating and how you can take back control.

Not Getting Enough Sleep - When we're exhausted, we hunger for just about everything in sight, especially if it's sugary or high in carbs...

Sabotaged By Stress - Constant stress causes your body to pump out high doses of hormones, like cortisol, that over time can boost your appetite and lead you to overeat...

Fatty Food On The Brain - We're hardwired to hunger for fatty, sugary, salty foods because, back when our ancestors were foraging for every meal, palatable eats meant extra energy and a leg-up on survival...

You Slipped Up - Give yourself a do-over, learn from it... Read The Article

According to researchers, a little exercise for people in their 80s tripled their survival rate. Similar benefits have been shown in people in their 60s and 70s.

Oldsters didn't have to be super-athletes to live longer; walking at least four hours weekly (ex: 45 mins, six days a week) counted, even if it was just in 15-minute strolls a few times daily.

Researchers took into account factors that also affect survival, including participants' overall health and whether they smoked, and still found that activity levels were strongly related to longevity.

The results "clearly support the continued encouragement of physical activity, even among the oldest old. Indeed, it seems that it is never too late to start," say researchers. Read The Article

A recent study reports that obesity, smoking and alcohol use increase the risk that survivors of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer will develop the disease in the other breast.

According to the study, a cancer survivor with a body mass index greater than 30 is 40% more likely to develop cancer in the other breast than a woman with a BMI lower than 25. The study also found that drinking seven or more alcoholic beverages weekly was linked with a 90% increased chance of developing a second cancer, compared with drinking no alcohol. Current smoking was associated with a 120% increased chance of developing a second cancer, compared with never smoking, the study found.

An expert said the study shows that women who maintain healthy weights, avoid smoking and drink in moderation can reduce their risk of developing second cancers. Read The Article

This month's newsletter from Dole features six articles and more to improve your health.

The Diet Center discusses how beets can boost your stamina, how laughing burns calories, and debates a potential obese tax. The Nutrition Desk, meanwhile, reveals the benefits of mandarin oranges, dives into the science between mercury and fish consumption, and discovers bountiful benefits found in seeds. Read The Newsletter