Obesity is well known to be connected to several different chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and sleep apnea. But what does science say about obesity and cancer risk?
We’re here today to answer several questions that people have. Does obesity cause cancer? Is obesity linked to cancer? And are there potential cancer risks associated with obesity? Let’s take a look.
Is Obesity Linked To Cancer Risk?
According to the scientific literature, there
is a clear link between obesity (defined as having a BMI over 30) and increased
cancer risk. According to a paper published in Oncologist by Wolin et al, it’s
estimated that 20% of cancer cases are caused by obesity. There is also a link
between obesity and cancer recurrence among those who have several types of
early-stage cancers.
It’s been found that obesity is, in part, linked to the following cancers:
- Post-menopausal breast cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Endometrial cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Gallbladder cancer
- Renal cell carcinoma
- Liver cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Thyroid cancer
It’s impossible to ignore the increased cancer risk associated with obesity, particularly in an era where social movements aimed at improving body image issues attempt to make light of the real medical risks associated with having excess body fat.
How Does Obesity Increase The Risk of Cancer?
It’s not fully known why obesity and cancer are so closely linked. However, oncologists and other experts believe that the obesity-cancer link is due to inflammation.
Visceral fat is the fat that covers vital organs, as opposed to subcutaneous fat, which is the fat between the skin and the muscle. Obese individuals have a lot of visceral fat, and it’s this visceral fat (not subcutaneous fat) that causes a lot of the problems associated with obesity.
When a large amount of visceral fat is present, there isn’t enough room for oxygen, causing inflammation. This inflammation causes the body’s cells to become more resistant to insulin, a hormone that helps regulate blood glucose levels. When the cells are more resistant to insulin, more insulin is needed in order to regulate glucose levels in the body. This is what causes type 2 diabetes.
Problem is, insulin affects more than just blood sugar. It also affects other hormones such as estrogen. More insulin increases estrogen levels, and this causes an increase in cell production. This increased cell production in turn increases the risk for cancer cells to be produced.
This explanation is one of many potential explanations for why obesity and cancer risk are so closely linked; however, this may not be the mechanism that links obesity to all of those cancers listed earlier.
Bariatric surgery is one way to lose a lot of weight quickly and more easily maintain a healthy weight. We wrote an article with some tips before getting bariatric surgery. Check it out!
Getting bariatric surgery in Tijuana can be much cheaper than getting it stateside. Schedule a consultation with us to learn more!
