A healthy body weight calculated as the BMI (body mass index) is crucial to reducing your risk of cancers of the ovary and breast.

Not only that but maintaining an ideal body weight also reduces your risks for other lifestyle diseases such as type 2 diabetes, liver and heart diseases.

The link between body weight and ovarian cancer risk

There is an established link between excess body weight and developing ovarian cancer. Ovaries, along with your fat tissues create estrogen. An increase in the fat tissues means your body creates more estrogen than needed. This increased amount of estrogen escalates cell division. When a cell goes through such changes, many times, they go wrong and develop into cancer.

What is a healthy body weight/BMI?

Ideal body weight is measured through BMI. It is the ratio between your height and weight. Mentioned below are the levels of BMI:

• Underweight = <18.5

• Normal weight = 18.5–24.9

• Overweight = 25–29.9

• Obesity = 30

The role of abdominal fat

Abdominal fat increases your risk of cancers, diabetes, heart diseases, and other health conditions. A waist larger than your hips means excess abdominal fat.

Tips for maintaining a healthy weight

• Control your portion sizes while eating

• Consume a balanced diet, have foods that have a high nutritional value

• Monitor your calories

• Drink more water

• Be physically active, create a plan, and exercise daily

• Get adequate sleep

• Limit alcohol intake

• Quit smoking

Catching ovarian cancer early

Whether you are overweight or not, one thing that you must not give up is regular full body preventive health checkups. Cancer develops slowly, but spreads rapidly - more often than not, it does not develop signs and symptoms in its early stages. Hence, when it is diagnosed, treatment often goes out of hand. Health checkups help in identifying fatal, non-communicable diseases like cancer early. Early diagnosis of cancer helps in planning a non-invasive and cost-effective treatment plan, and this complete cure.

Are you regular with your health checkups? Want to find the best whole body preventive health screening that you can take from the comfort of your home? Click here.