Excess Weight Is Linked to Many Cancers

Excess weight increases the risk of being diagnosed with cancers

Excess weight can increase the possibility of being diagnosed with cancers of the gallbladder, stomach, liver, ovary, pancreas, and thyroid. Moreover, researchers have recently added eight more cancers to the list that we already knew could affect overweight people.

The list also includes a type of blood cancer called multiple myeloma as well as a brain cancer known as meningioma. An earlier review by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization found that those who avoid gaining weight could reduce their risk for developing eight other types of cancer. These include cancer of the esophagus, colon, uterus, breast, and kidney.

The researcher’s next step is to find out whether overweight and obese individuals can reduce their risk for cancer by losing weight.

Director of Public Policy at Cancer Council Australia, Paul Grogan, mentioned that more cases of cancer connected to excess weight had been diagnosed in Australia than first believed. Around 4,000 such cases of cancer are diagnosed each year in Australia and are generated by excess weight.

According to the information published by Cancer Council Australia in 2015, one in 10 cases of colon cancer is immediately attributed to excess weight and 26 percent of endometrial cancers were linked to being overweight or obese.

However, it is premature to presume that obesity causes cancer, but we can say that there is a correlation between obesity and enhanced risk of many known malignancies.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reviewed more than 1,000 examinations carried all over the world, involving both men and women. Some of the studies evaluated excess weight based on waist circumference measurements and some regarding body-mass index (BMI). They have classified overweight as displaying a BMI between 25 and 29.9 and obesity as reflecting a BMI of 30 or more.

The research team also highlighted that the absence of excess body fatness reduces the risk of most cancers. Because of the lack of human subjects, they failed to clarify this aspect.

However, the animal studies have indicated that weight loss may hold a cancer-preventive result.

The researchers stated that there are many good reasons to balance the food we eat with adequate exercise, get back into shape, and avoid excess weight. By doing so, the individuals will lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, as well as cancer.

Image source: Wikipedia

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Roxanne Briean

I am a geek, a gamer and a writer. I have always been fascinated with the online community. At the moment I work as a full-time writer and study interior design. When I'm not scouring the net in search of interesting new gadgets and software I spend my time in MOBAs or drawing.