A brisk 20 minute walk each day could be enough to reduce an individual’s risk of early death, according to new research. The study of over 334,000 European men and women found that twice as many deaths may be attributable to lack of physical activity compared with the number of deaths attributable to obesity, but that just a modest increase in physical activity could have significant health benefits. – See more at http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/lack-of-exercise-responsible-for-twice-as-many-deaths-as-obesity#sthash.hSDv1MLp.dpuf

Physical inactivity has been consistently associated with an increased risk of early death, as well as being associated with a greater risk of diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Although it may also contribute to an increased body mass index (BMI) and obesity, the association with early death is independent of an individual’s BMI.

To measure the link between physical inactivity and premature death, and its interaction with obesity, researchers analysed data from 334,161 men and women across Europe participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study. Between 1992 and 2000, the researchers measured height, weight and waist circumference, and used self-assessment to measure levels of physical activity. The participants were then followed up over 12 years, during which 21,438 participants died. The results are published today in the American Journal of Clinical Exercise.

The researchers found that the greatest reduction in risk of premature death occurred in the comparison between inactive and moderately inactive groups, judged by combining activity at work with recreational activity; just under a quarter (22.7%) of participants were categorised as inactive, reporting no recreational activity in combination with a sedentary occupation. The authors estimate that doing exercise equivalent to just a 20-minute brisk walk each day – burning between 90 and 110 kcal (‘calories’) – would take an individual from the inactive to the moderately inactive group and reduce their risk of premature death by between 16-30%. The impact was greatest amongst normal weight individuals, but even those with higher BMI saw a benefit.

Using the most recent available data on deaths in Europe the researchers estimate that 337,000 of the 9.2 million deaths amongst European men and women were attributable to obesity (classed as a BMI greater than 30): however, double this number of deaths (676,000) could be attributed to physical inactivity.

Professor Ulf Ekelund from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge, who led the study, says: “This is a simple message: just a small amount of physical activity each day could have substantial health benefits for people who are physically inactive. Although we found that just 20 minutes would make a difference, we should really be looking to do more than this – physical activity has many proven health benefits and should be an important part of our daily life.”

Professor Nick Wareham, Director of the MRC Unit, adds: “Helping people to lose weight can be a real challenge, and whilst we should continue to aim at reducing population levels of obesity, public health interventions that encourage people to make small but achievable changes in physical activity can have significant health benefits and may be easier to achieve and maintain.”

Reference

Ekelund, U et al. Activity and all-cause mortality across levels of overall and abdominal adiposity in European men and women: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Study (EPIC). American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; 14 Jan 2015

This article was written by Cambridge University and was first published on 14^th January 2015 here. We have used this content as stipulated by its Creative Commons Licence.

Today, The Lake Foundation formally published the findings from its fibroids survey.

Our fibroids survey was launched last summer and we invited women with experience of fibroids to take part. The aim of the survey was to understand the needs of women with fibroids to inform the development of our fibroids information and support programme.

We explored five main areas and our key findings are as follows:

Awareness of fibroids prior to diagnosis

• There was a general low level of awareness of fibroids amongst participants prior to their diagnosis.
• There was a good level of awareness of some of the main symptoms of fibroids but a low level of awareness of other symptoms.
• Participants were aware that ethnicity was a risk factor for fibroids but less aware of other risk factors.

Route to Diagnosis

• The majority of participants delayed seeing their GP for six months or more after first noticing symptoms.
• After visiting their GP, most women received a confirmed diagnosis within 4 weeks but over a quarter stated that it took 12 months or more to receive a confirmed diagnosis.

Treatment

• Despite the fact that 79% of participants had a discussion with their GP about treatment options, 63% stated that they didn’t feel that they had enough information to make an informed decision about their treatment.
• The majority of participants (42%) had surgery to treat their fibroids.
• A quarter of respondents were very happy with their follow-up and aftercare whilst 33% stated that they were not at all satisfied.

The Effect of Fibroids and its Treatment on Quality of Life

• Participants reported that fibroids and its treatment significantly affected their quality of life, affecting them not just physically, but emotionally.
• Many participants did not feel like they had enough support to assist them in managing or overcoming the emotional, physical and medical impact of fibroids.

The Availability of Information and Support

• The biggest gaps in the availability of support were in information and peer support with a small gap in emotional support.

In 2015 we will work towards addressing these issues and have started this with our Fibroids Ask The Expert which was launched at the end of last year.

For more information on the findings of our survey please download our report below.

This week, from 12^th – 18^th January, is National Obesity Awareness Week in the UK. During NOAW campaigners are urging the public to join their National New Year’s Resolution to tackle obesity by making a commitment to make a small lifestyle change – such as going for a regular walk or run, or eating a healthier diet.

Research has shown that black African women in the UK have the highest prevalence of obesity? The same is true for African American women. Let’s turn this around.

During NOAW The Lake Foundation will be sharing a range of health tips on our social media platforms so that we can turn these statistics around. Join us on Facebook and Twitter.

If you missed our ‘Understanding Prostate Cancer’ event on 20th December, have no fear, we will be holding another event on Saturday 10^th January 2015 at Trinity Baptist Church in West Norwood.

This event is a collaboration between The Lake Foundation, Trinity Baptist Church and Prostate Cancer UK and is part of an engagement and empowerment pilot which aims to determine the best methods of reaching black men with the key messages about this disease.

The event will cover: what is the prostate, prostate conditions, signs & symptoms and risk factors ensuring that men have the information they need to take quick action should they notice any of the symptoms.

For more information about this event please email us: events@thelakefoundation.com

NHS England has announced the start of their new project, the 100,000 Genomes Project, in early 2015. The project aims to sequence 100,000 genomes within three years to determine the genetic mutations that lead to various cancers and rare diseases. This will enable targeted treatments to be developed for a wide range of conditions.

Doctors will be able to refer patients with relevant diseases, who are interested in taking part, to one of 11 Genomic Medicine Centres for inclusion in the project. Samples will be collected, genetic sequencing carried out and the data analysed.

NHS England are hoping to recruit 75,000 patients and The Lake Foundation is encouraging members of the African Caribbean community to take part to ensure that minorities are well represented and any ethnic genetic differences are identified.

In January 2015 the Barbados Diabetes Reversal Study, a pilot study aimed at reversing type two diabetes, will begin. It will explore whether type two diabetes can be reversed by patients adopting a low calorie diet and maintaining a healthy weight.

Participants will be given a low calorie liquid diet for eight weeks with non-starchy vegetables making sure that they receive all the necessary vitamins and minerals. This will then be followed by a 6 month period where participants will resume a normal healthy diet.

The study will be funded by Virgin Unite and builds on research conducted in the UK by Prof Roy Taylor.

If you’re from Barbados and would like to take part in this study you’ll need to have been diagnosed with the condition within the past 6 years.  For more information and to register please contact reversediabetes246@gmail.com or 1 246 266 5673

On Saturday we attended Genesis, an inspirational networking event organised by Bespoke Hairstyles and Almocado which brought together black business owners and professionals for a night of sharing, positivity and empowerment, with the theme being Our Voice Matters.

This was a networking event like no other with everyone genuinely wanting to connect with like-minded people, no hidden agendas, just a willingness to ensure that we begin to create a forum for black businesses, professionals, students and charities to come together.

The evening began with mingling, snacks and the opportunity to view the products on sale by the vendors Almocado and House of Afrika.

Once we’d settled in, the main event began with a lovely introduction from Bespoke Hairstyles and Almocado who spoke about the rationale behind the event, how their businesses started and their passion for bringing all their clients together, clients who are multitalented and would benefit from being connected to each other.

Then it was over to us. Everyone in the room had the opportunity to be heard from invited guests and vendors to the caterers and cameraman. This was a night of inclusion.

We were all given a few minutes to introduce ourselves, put forward one word that encapsulates what success means to us (the most popular word that people  put forward was ‘happiness’ followed by ‘freedom’) and then show the group our happy pose – that thing that we do when we are happy with ourselves (it was great fun seeing all the poses).

We heard from lawyers, IT consultants, social workers, artists, bloggers, vloggers, financial analysts, raw food chefs, architects and many, many more. It was very motivating to hear everyone’s story and surprising to learn that so many people are juggling 9-5 jobs and their own businesses; it was a truly multitalented room of people.

This was a very enjoyable event and we’d like to say a big thank you to Bespoke Hairstyles and Almocado for organising this event and  inviting us to attend, we were truly honoured to be there and look forward to their next event.