Published on April 2, 2022
Dr. Naresh Somani, Head of Medical Oncology Department, HCG Cancer Centre, Jaipur
Gone are the days when looking chubby defined our status of belonging to a well-fed family. Obesity or being overweight in India, estimated to affect 30% of the country’s population, is now steadily progressing towards being hailed as the leading cause of next health crisis. Blame it on junk food, sedentary lifestyle and stress, people are gaining uncontrolled weight or witnessing fluctuating numbers of weight scale.
Being overweight or obese refers to having more fat than muscle and bone in the body. While it may not necessarily affect your activity level much, it can pose a threat of developing multiple non-communicable diseases like heart problems, diabetes, hypertension and even cancer. Not every obese person may be at risk of developing cancer, but it is now increasingly becoming a matter of concern for people at risk of developing cancers.
Explaining the link between Obesity and Cancer
The link between obesity and cancer risk is much higher than the other risk factors. Excess weight in the body can lead to an increased risk of developing breast cancer in menopausal women or endometrial cancer due to high levels of fat around the waist. How and when you gain weight is also crucial. Gaining weight during childhood and teenage years may become a potential risk factor for some cancers that can happen later in life, say for instance, ovarian cancer prior to menopause.
Although the link is complex, there are certain possible explanations that suggest ways obesity increases the risk of developing some cancers.
Types of cancers linked to Obesity
Studies have revealed that being overweight can lead to the following types of cancer:
How maintaining healthy weight can help?
In order to decrease the chances of cancer risk, it is essential to maintain healthy weight. Losing as good as 5-10% of the body weight can help in reducing the risk of developing cancer. For patients with lower weight gain during adulthood may have lower risks of developing kidney and colon cancers and breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers in case of women after menopause. Whether it is planned or unintentional weight loss, the risks of cancer can be decreased by maintaining healthy weight through reduced production of hormones like insulin, androgens and oestrogens.
To prevent obesity and lowering cancer risk, here are some tips:
Obesity and Cancer Survival
Obesity may worsen the quality of life and overall health in patients diagnosed with breast, colorectal or prostate cancers. It also increases the chances of cancer recurrence and progression. Patients with high BMI, particularly in men, have an increased risk of local recurrence of rectal cancer while chances of survival are reportedly better when women with breast cancer undergo considerable weight loss, in comparison to patients with normal weight. Obesity can also increase the risk of incontinence for prostate cancer survivors who have been treated with radical prostatectomy.
Being overweight does not necessarily indicate the risk of developing cancer but it is always advisable to maintain healthy weight and seek medical attention in case of any unexplained and persisting symptoms continue to keep you fatigued and unhealthy.