Cancer and Obesity: What's the Relation?

Last updated 2 months ago

Studies linking obesity to various health-related problems have become more prominent in the past decade. Many Americans are aware that obesity can increase the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and diabetes. But, what many aren’t aware of is the relationship between obesity and cancer. Obesity can increase the risk of a number of cancers, including those occurring in the breast, colon, kidney, and esophagus.

Obesity
Obesity is measured based on a formula of height and weight called body mass index (BMI). Your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared equals your BMI. The National Institutes of Health categorize those with a BMI of 30 or greater as obese. Studies show that causes of obesity are primarily a sedentary lifestyle and the overeating food high in calories. Improving dietary habits and exercising regularly are the best ways to overcome obesity.

Obesity and Cancer
Epidemiological studies show that obese people increase their risk of cancer by 1.5-fold. This may seem like a small number, but it results in about 90,000 cancer-related deaths per year. The risk of liver cancer is 4.5about four times greater. Obese people have excess fat cells; their body is in a chronic inflammatory state, producing excess growth hormones, increasing the likelihood of cancer.

What You Can Do
Prevention is the best method for reducing your risk for cancer. Begin a daily exercise routine and modify your diet so that you’re consuming more fruits and vegetables to get the valuable vitamins and nutrients you need to maintain a healthy body. Losing body fat will decrease the likelihood of many other diseases, as well.

For help starting a healthy diet regimen, contact SSM Weight-Loss Institute. We can design a specialized program to fit your weight-loss goals. Call us at (314) 266-4206 to get started on your weight-loss program.