How does obesity increase cancer risk?

November 6, 2021 15:15

Obese people are not only at increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, but also cancer.

If you are consistently overweight and do not take adequate steps to control your weight, you may be increasing your risk of cancer. Obese people are more likely to develop diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. 1 in 6 cancer deaths in men and 1 in 7 cancer deaths in women are linked to obesity.

It is known that cancers such as mouth, lung and colorectal have been affecting more people in their 20s and 50s.

“Nearly six types of cancer are linked to obesity and are on the rise in people below 50 years of age. These are colon or rectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer, gallbladder cancer, uterine cancer and multiple myeloma,” said Dr Anil Heroor, an oncologist at Fortis Hospital Mumbai.

How does obesity increase cancer risk?

“Fat is dynamic, not just sitting there. It can become dysfunctional, leading to inflammation, which increases the risk of developing cancer. Many obesity-related cancers are in organs housed in fat. In addition, excess fat can affect the entire body, causing systemic effects. For example, people with dysfunctional fat tissue often have altered levels of hormones, such as insulin and estrogen. These changes can damage DNA and lead to certain cancers and even blood cancers, such as multiple myeloma. However, at least one-third of common cancers are preventable,” said Dr. Heroor.

According to experts, people, especially young people, need to raise awareness about the health risks caused by obesity.

According to VOV

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How does obesity increase cancer risk?