Within the next 10 years, experts believe obesity will become the key cause of cancer.
A team of researchers from the Harvard University revealed obesity may increase the risk for cancer including breast, bowel, prostate, womb, and cervical cancer.
Previously, smoking has been tagged as the main culprit for cancer. However, several governments’ effort to reduce the number of smokers has also decreased the number of cancer cases caused by smoking.
Their study revealed that women diagnosed with breast cancer who were obese at the time of diagnosis were 75% more likely to die. Overweight women were found to be six times more likely to have womb cancer. In another study, individuals who engage in high levels of exercise after diagnosis were twice likely to overcome the disease.
Because of their findings,Dr. Jennifel Ligibel, the lead researcher at the Harvard Medical School, encourages doctors to include diets and exercise programs in the cancer patient’s routine treatment.
“We are at a critical point now. The risks of cigarettes have become more known, so the prevalence is decreasing, but the rise in rates of obesity has really been staggering. People are aware that being overweight increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes but not that it increases their risk of cancer, and their risk of dying from cancer,” said Dr. Ligibel.
Moreover, obesity has also caused most cancers to occur 20 years earlier in life. Take for instance bowel cancer which occurs in individuals in their 60’s rather than their 80’s.
Overweight and Obesity Health Risks
Aside from cancer, being overweight and obese poses a lot of health problems and risks. Packing on the unnecessary pounds makes you more likely to have the following issues, according to the US NIH:
- cornary heart disease
- high blood pressure
- stroke
- type 2 diabetes
- abnormal blood fats
- metabolic syndrome
- sleep apnea
- reproductive problems
- gallstones