I realize that doctors in training are required to write papers for their CV’s but the topics they choose and how they are presented never cease to amaze me, together with the way the press reports them. The latest to catch my eye states that ‘couch potatoes are more likely to develop womb cancer than more active women.’ Well that would certainly frighten you if you did not know any better – but we do know better.
The newspaper report does not go on to state what we all know – or at least know if we know anything at all about how a woman produces hormones in her body. The fact is that if you are a couch potato you are likely to be overweight as a result of little exercise and snack eating. Being overweight means your body makes more estrogen and it is this – not being a couch potato in itself – which can lead to uterine cancer.
Women produce estrogen in their fat cells, so to avoid uterine cancer a simple measure would be to eat less and exercise more – perhaps hiding the TV remote as well wouldn’t be a bad idea either!