Obesity boosts cancer risk big time
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Researchers published an article in the Feb 2010 issue of The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society saying obesity is associated with increased risk of a variety of cancers.
Key T.J. and colleagues from the University of Oxford said epidemiological studies have resulted in convincing evidence that obesity raises the risk for esophageal cancer, colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, endometrial cancer and kidney cancer.
Specifically, for an increase in body mass index of 10 kg/m2, the risk of esophageal cancer increases by 130 percent, colon cancer in men by 50 percent, colon cancer in women by 20 percent, post-menopausal breast cancer by 40 percent, endometrial cancer by 190 percent and kidney cancer by more than 50 percent.
Evidence also indicates that obesity increases the risks for cancers of the gallbladder, malignant melanoma, ovary, thyroid, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma and leukemia.
The authors said that in the UK and similar countries, about 5 percent of all cancers are attributable to overweight and obesity.
Editor's note:
There is no doubt that obesity is associated with an increased risk of a variety of cancers. But this does not mean the association is causal; that is, being obese per se may not necessarily be a risk factor for cancers.
Evidence reveals that what a person eats sometimes matters more than how much he eats. In other words,, the nutrition profile is also important in determining a person's risk for cancers.
So if you want to reduce cancer risk, don't just simply cut your intake of calories (not all the calories are the same in terms of cancer risk anyway). Pay attention to what you eat (not all foods are created equal, from a nutritional standpoint).
Jimmy Downs and editing by Rachel Stockton
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