Overweight and obesity increase the risk of 8 types of cancer

“If we don’t lose weight, our risk of getting these eight dangerous cancers will peak,” said Graham Colditz, president of IARC and deputy director of the Institute of Public Health at the University of Washington.

According to a recent assessment by experts, being overweight and obese poses a much higher risk of cancer than previously thought. A research team from the International Agency for Research on Cancer analyzed more than 1,000 studies and found that obesity increases the risk of 13 types of cancer, including 8 types of cancer that are most likely to occur when you are overweight.

In fact, according to the group's research results, about 9% of cancer cases are caused by obesity, published in the New England Journal of Medicine last August.

“If we don’t lose weight, our risk of getting these eight deadly cancers will peak,” said Graham Colditz, president of IARC and deputy director of the Institute of Public Health at the University of Washington.

Here are 8 newly discovered cancers that are more likely if you are overweight or obese. Don't forget to look at this information to adjust your weight appropriately!

Stomach cancer

“Excess fat can lead to chronic inflammation, especially in the gut,” says Colditz. The link between stomach cancer and obesity isn’t surprising, since the stomach is in the same system as the esophagus. Chronic inflammation can be caused by being overweight. This can lead to more irritation from stomach acids. And that can lead to stomach cancer.

Liver cancer

Being overweight can cause changes in the liver that are similar to the effects of alcohol on your liver. “They can have the same effects on the liver as heavy drinking, which can lead to cirrhosis and then liver cancer,” Colditz says. Obese people are more likely to develop fatty liver disease, which experts call non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Gallbladder cancer

Overweight and obese people are more likely to develop gallstones. Obese people have high cholesterol levels, which can cause gallbladder inflammation, gallstones, and increase the risk of gallbladder cancer.

Pancreatic cancer

Obesity disrupts insulin function. “This indirectly affects the normal metabolic processes in the pancreas, which makes it very easy to understand why you might develop pancreatic cancer,” Colditz said.

Ovarian cancer

Fat cells produce estrogen. Increased estrogen production, especially in the postmenopausal period, is the culprit that makes breast and uterine cancers worse. “Ovarian cancer is determined by high estrogen levels as well as increased chronic inflammation,” Colditz said.

Brain cancer

Many people have tumors that appear in the meninges, the thin tissue that covers the brain and spinal cord. According to the American Cancer Society, this is not a sign of brain cancer. Brain cancer only really comes to you when hormones produced by fat are involved. And those who are obese, with the appearance of these tumors, are pushed to a higher level of brain cancer risk.

Thyroid cancer

A 2012 study in the International Journal of Medical Research confirmed that increased hormone production is closely linked to thyroid cancer. For excessive weight gain alone, the thyroid gland will automatically enlarge more than normal. The larger the thyroid gland, the more opportunity for cells to mutate and become thyroid cancer in a short time.

Leukemia

New research also suggests that chronic inflammation in the bone marrow may increase the risk of developing malignant tumors. “Obesity may stimulate inflammation, which leads to mutations in bone marrow cells. The more mutations in bone marrow cells, the more mutations in the blood that can lead to leukemia,” Colditz explains.

How to prevent obesity?

To prevent obesity and weight gain from giving you the chance to get cancer and many other diseases, there is no other way but to lose weight healthily. Although there are different views, researchers believe that healthy eating habits that provide plenty of fiber and nutrients for the intestinal microflora will also help people lose weight.

Adjust your eating habits and create a habit of reasonable exercise. People who are obese and overweight need to see a doctor so that doctors can give you a specific exercise regimen. You can learn to walk at least 5 times a week, walking at least about 3km to circulate blood and burn excess fat effectively.

You should not fast, especially skip breakfast, because when you fast, your body will stimulate itself to need to compensate for the lack of energy. It is better to divide into many small meals during the day and reduce the amount of food you put into your body in each small meal.

Some points to note:

Eat plenty of fiber and green vegetables.

Drink enough water every day.

Limit snacks and fast food, foods high in fat... eat lots of green vegetables and fresh fruit, drink fruit juice or eat fresh fruit instead of drinking carbonated soft drinks.

According to Family & Society