Can Obesity Cause Cancer?

overweight

In the UK, being overweight or obese is the second-leading cause of cancer. Compared to people who are a healthy weight, those who are overweight are more prone to develop cancer.

Being overweight is not guarantee that you will get cancer. However, the danger increases with both the amount and duration of weight gain. Losing weight and refraining from gaining weight will help lower your risk of cancer if you are overweight.

Keeping a healthy weight has many advantages. These include having more energy and a lower chance of developing ailments including heart disease, stroke, and joint pain.

how obesity causes cancer

The extra body fat doesn't just sit there; it's active and communicates with the rest of your body through signals. These messages may instruct our body's cells to divide more frequently, which may result in cancer.

The effects of the signals that fat cells emit include:

•  Growth hormones - An excessive amount of body fat can increase the levels of growth hormones, which instruct cells to divide more frequently. This increases the likelihood that cancer cells will grow.

•  Immune cells that cause inflammation travel to bodily regions with a high concentration of fat cells. Inflammation can result from this, which speeds up cell division. This may eventually make cancer risk higher.

•  Sex hormones: Oestrogen is produced by fat cells after menopause. This hormone may cause more frequent cell division in the breast and womb, which raises the possibility of cancer.

CANCER RESEARCH UK

Numerous credible studies have established the connection between obesity and cancer. Millions of people have taken part in this research over many years.

Because the risk rises with weight gain and duration of retention, we can be certain that obesity causes cancer. There are also compelling justifications for how fat cells can contribute to the growth of cancer.

Obesity and the chance of developing cancer are clearly related. Several malignancies, including colorectal, post-menopausal breast, uterine, esophageal, kidney, and pancreatic cancers are linked to having too much body fat, according to research.

The precise mechanism by which obesity raises that risk is less apparent. According to experts, visceral fat, which is the fat that surrounds your important organs, is mostly to blame for the inflammation that it causes.

The issue with excessive visceral fat is that it interferes with some bodily functions. According to Karen Basen-Engquist, Ph.D., professor of behavioral science at MD Anderson, this also pertains to how your body regulates hormones like insulin and estrogen.

According to her, "all of this can affect how and when cells divide and die, which can increase the risk of developing cancer."

What can be done about obesity and cancer?

Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most crucial things you can do to lower your chance of developing cancer, according to Basen-Engquist.

You can take measures to avoid being obese.

• Remain active. Aim for 75 minutes of intense activity per week, or 150 minutes of moderate activity.
• Adopt a balanced diet. Put non-starchy vegetables, fruit, whole grains, or legumes (beans and peas) on at least two thirds of your plate and limit the amount of animal protein to one third or less.
• If you consume alcohol, keep your intake to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.
• Get lots of sleep. You might want to eat more and make worse decisions if you're tired.

According to Basen-Engquist, being overweight or obese impairs your body's capacity to function properly. A healthy weight must be maintained if you want to lower your risk of developing cancer.

ideal weight

Is my weight healthy?

Overweight people are more likely to develop diseases like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Although there isn't a single ideal weight for everyone, there are various tools that can let you know if your weight is healthy.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

Using your height and weight, the BMI is one approach to determine whether you are a healthy weight. Although BMI isn't a perfect tool, it can be a useful place to start when considering weight. It can determine whether you are within the range of a healthy weight for your height, or whether you are underweight, overweight, or obese. 

What is seen as a healthy weight is also influenced by ethnic origin. 

Adults of South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African, or African-Caribbean ancestry are considered overweight if their BMI is 23 or higher, and they are considered obese if their BMI is 27.5 or higher. 

Adults without these racial or ethnic backgrounds are considered overweight or obese if their BMI is 25 or higher and 30 or higher.

More information about BMI and healthy weight can be found at NHS Healthy Weight.