Health&Wellness Magazine October 2015 | Page 6

6 & October 2015 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net | older is expected to double by 2060. Additionally, seniors now live decades longer than they did 100 years ago. At present, the average American life expectancy is 79 years, while the median age of cancer deaths is 73 years. Is Cancer On The Rise? Researcher cites three main reasons Obesity Lends Favorable Conditions For Cancer By Angela S. Hoover, Staff Writer In the United States, about half of all men and one-third of all women develop cancer at some time in their life. More than 1.5 million new cancer diagnoses are made each year. Presently, about 14.5 million people alive in the United States have had some type of cancer. Some still have cancer and some are living cancerfree. Cancer can strike a person at any age, but the risk of developing cancer increases with age. Nearly 78 percent of all cancer diagnoses are in those aged 55 and older. A cancer diagnosis used to be a quick death sentence. Now, people diagnosed with cancer have a much better outcome and survival rate. Yet despite the advancements in research, prevention, early detection and diagnosis during the past 50 years, there seems to be an uptick in cancer diagnoses in the United States. There are three main reasons for this increase, according to Dr. Bhavesh Balar, chair of the CentraState Medical Center Cancer Committee in Freehold, N.J., and a board-certified hematologist and oncologist. An Aging Population More seniors in the population equate to higher rates of cancer diagnoses. Cancer is prevalent in senior populations, and the American population has a large percentage of seniors. The number of Americans 55 and ILATES P ILATES P PLACE PLACE PPILATES LACE A FREE class for not just survivors but THRIVERS OCTOBER 7, 21, 28 9:00am – 10:00am Form Good Habits with Us! 859.266.3810 365 Duke Rd. Lexington • pilatesplaceky.com follow us on: Obesity will soon overtake tobacco as the No. 1 risk factor for cancer, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (2014). Poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle are th