The common cancers overweight people get are analyzed, linked and verified. A new study reports that overweight and obese people have a higher risk of developing 10 common cancers. Healthcare professionals warn us that being overweight or obese can increase the risk of developing cancer.
However, this latest study confirms the types of cancer that are the greatest risks. This research of over five million people, published in the Lancet Medical Journal, is the largest study that confirms a linkage between overweight and obese people and specific types of cancer.
Common cancers and weight
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, led by Dr. Krishnan Bhaskaran monitored the changes in health over a seven-year period of five million people living in the United Kingdom. They analyzed the data and found that the common cancers consisted of six types of cancers. The cancers are linked to obese and overweight people, both linearly and firmly for each 28 to 34 pounds of added weight a person gained.
Depending on the size of the tumor, the following are the common cancers: kidney, gall bladder, cervix, and thyroid. In addition, the highest increased risk is cancer of the uterus.
Cancer of the colon, ovaries, and liver, as well as post-menopausal breast cancer, are more likely to develop in people with a high body mass index (BMI).
Health risks of being overweight
The researchers suggest that though ninety percent of the common cancers developed are linked to obese and overweight people, some cancers show no linkage, whatsoever. Ironically, some of the evidence found in the study indicates that people with a higher BMI are less likely to develop prostate cancer.
Dr Krishnan Bhaskaran explains, “There was a lot of variation in the effect of BMI on different cancers. For example, risk of cancer of the uterus increased substantially at higher body mass index, for other cancer, we saw a more modest increase in risk or no effect at all. This variation tells us BMI must affect cancer risk through a number of different processes, depending on cancer type”
Health Information Officer at Cancer Research UK, Tom Stansfeld points out, “Although the relationship between cancer and obesity is complex, it is clear carrying excess weight increases your risk of developing cancer. Keeping a healthy weight reduces cancer risk and the best way to do this is through eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising regularly.”
