Get Slim to Beat Breast Cancer, Women Told

WOMEN can reduce their chances of getting breast cancer by slimming, new research has found, writes Mark Prigg.

A study of 2,000 women from five countries found that, for some, losing weight cut the chances of breast cancer before the age of 50 by 65 per cent.

Those who benefited most from slimming all had a genetic mutation that greatly increased their risk of contracting the disease.

For these women, losing 10 pounds between the ages of 18 and 30 reduced the risk of breast cancer by 65 per cent.

Dr Steven Narod, from the University of Toronto, said: “The results from this study suggest that weight loss in early adult life protects against early-onset … breast cancers.”

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Britain, with more than 41,000 new cases each year.