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Obesity Increases Risk of Cancer

Med Headlines - Study done by the World Cancer Research Fund indicates that obesity is closely associated with an increased risk of developing cancer. Researchers reviewed over 7,000 studies, some of which as old as 40 years. The “Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective” study took five years to develop and the results include 10 recommendations aimed at cancer prevention.

“Along with avoiding tobacco, weight control and certain dietary adjustments offer powerful means of reducing risk for many, perhaps most cancers.” Increased body fat is associated with cancers of the esophagus, breast, pancreas, kidney, colon and uterus. “People forget body fat is not an inert glob that we are carrying around on waistline and thighs. It’s a metabolically active tissue that produces substances in the body that promote the development of cancer,” one researcher said.

Alcohol consumption is associated with cancer of the mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, liver, and breast. Scientists urge people to cut down, especially that portions have increased over the years, so one drink today is likely the size of two drinks in the past.

Daily consumption of 1.7 ounces of processed meat, increases the risk of colon cancer by 21%. It is ok to have an occasional hot dog or hamburger, but if that’s your daily diet, it is recommended that you change your habits.

Dr. Steven Zeisel, director of the Nutrition Research Institute at the University of North Carolina and expert on the AICR panel, said “What’s new about this report is that a panel of distinguished scientists from around that world reviewed findings from multiple studies, and when we added them all together we found that excess body fat increases risk of developing cancer.”

In order to lower your risk of developing cancer, researchers recommend cutting down on alcoholic drinks (maximum of 2 drinks per day for men, and 1 for women), engaging in physical exercise of at least 30 minutes per day, cut down on salt and sugar intake.

Experts urge people not to take these recommendations to the extremes. Body mass that is lower than the current recommendations for any age group, also has a disastrous effect on our health.

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