Going up several skirt sizes in midlife could be a warning sign of increased cancer risk, research suggests.

    Women who went up a skirt size every decade after their mid-20s had a 33 percent greater risk of breast cancer after the menopause, say researchers at University College London.

    Watching your skirt size from your mid-20s onwards could be a simple way to track weight gain. Obesity is a known risk factor for cancer, particularly midriff fat.

    The study tracked more than 90,000 women in their 50s and 60s living in England.

    During the three-year follow-up period, 1,090 women developed breast cancer.

    The researchers found that a unit increase in U.K. skirt size every 10 years between 25 and post-menopausal age was linked to a 33 percent increased risk of breast cancer.

    Going up two skirt sizes in the same period was associated with a 77 percent greater risk, they report.

    Commenting on the research, Simon Vincent of Breakthrough Breast Cancer said, “We know that 40 percent of breast cancers could be prevented by changes to lifestyle such as being regularly active and maintaining a healthy weight.

    “This study highlights an easy way to monitor your weight gain over time. Women are more likely to remember their skirt size when they were younger than their BMI.”

    The researchers said the study had some limitations — it relied on women being able to accurately recall their skirt size in their 20s.

    Tom Stansfeld of Cancer Research U.K. said the study could be unreliable as dress sizes had changed over the years and it relied on a woman being able to remember her skirt size several decades earlier.

    “Evidence tells us the most important things you can do to reduce breast cancer risk, especially after the menopause, is to keep a healthy weight, be physically active as often as you can, and cut down on alcohol,” he said.

腰围增加？警惕乳癌！

研究表明，中年裙子尺码增加就要警惕患癌风险。

伦敦大学学院的研究人员说，女性过了25岁之后，如果每过10年裙子增加一个尺码，那么绝经后患乳癌的风险就会增加33%。

从25岁起留意自己的裙子尺寸，是判断体重是否增加的一个简便方法。

众所周知，肥胖是癌症致病因素之一，尤其是腹部脂肪。

该研究调查了居住在英格兰的九万多名五六十岁的女性。

为期三年的跟踪调查期间，1090名女性患了乳腺癌。

研究人员发现，从25岁到更年期期间，若按英国尺码计算裙子尺寸每10年增加一码则患乳癌的风险增加33%。研究报告还称，若裙子尺寸每10年增加两码，患乳腺癌的风险将增加77%。

英国抗乳癌研究中心的西蒙•文森特评论该研究说：“我们知道，40%的乳腺癌可以通过改变生活方式来预防，如定期锻炼和保持健康体重等。”

“这项研究指出了监控体重增加的一个简单方法。女性大多更容易记住自己年轻时的裙子尺寸，而不是体重指数。”

研究人员表示，这项研究也存在局限 — 这需要女性能够精确地回忆起她们二十几岁时裙子码数。

英国肿瘤研究中心汤姆·斯坦斯菲尔德认为该研究不可靠，因为不同年代衣服尺码不同，而且要求女性能够记得自己几十年前裙子的尺寸。他说：“证据表明，要想降低患乳癌风险，最重要的是保持健康体重、坚持锻炼身体以及减少酒精摄入量，尤其是进入更年期的女性。”

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【绝经期】

juéjīngqī

menopause

the time in a woman’s life in which the menstrual cycle ends

【腹部】

fùbù

midriff

The middle part of the front of the body, from the waist to the chest