5 Types of Cancer Caused By Obesity, How is Obesity Linked to Cancer?

Obesity

Are you having an obesity problem? If YES, you need to reduce your weight as soon as possible. In this post, I would like to share with you about the relationship between obesity and cancer.

Besides damaging blood vessels, research in the past decade has shown obesity also increases a person's risk for cancer. Obesity is a condition where the body has an unhealthy proportion of fat. It interferes with various hormonal balance, body functions and can cause inflammation which increases a person's risk of developing degenerative diseases especially cancer.

How can cancer occur due to obesity?

Cancer is a complex disease and highly influenced by many factors, and this is more likely to occur if you are in obese condition. Here are some mechanisms when cancer attacks obese people:

- The excess of estrogen hormone production. Obesity causes the excess of estrogen hormone production which can trigger cancer, especially increasing the risk of breast cancer and uterine cancer in women.

- Triggering hyperinsulinemia - excessive insulin levels in the blood and insulin resistance are often found in obese individuals and this condition can trigger various cancer cells in certain organs.

- Triggering inflammation - fat cells can trigger the immune system to react to body tissues adjacent to fat cells. These reactions can trigger inflammation around organs that are close to fat cells and last for a long time and can develop into cancer cells.

- Stimulating the development of cancer cells - fat cells have a direct effect on the workings of hormones and compound tumor hormone growth factors in triggering cancer. Conversely, hormones suppress the growth of abnormal cells such as adiponectin tend to be less in obese individuals.

Types of cancer that can be triggered by obesity

fat man

As previously explained, hormones and hormone compounds produced by fat cells tend to be excessive so that these hormones are channeled more throughout the body through the circulatory system. Excess hormones in the blood can trigger reactions in various organs and increase the risk of developing cancer.

Here are some types of cancer that are more likely to occur in obese individuals:

Breast cancer - this is more likely to be experienced by women after entering menopause age, where active cells produce excess estrogen hormone in obese women resulting in the growth of cancer cells.

Endometrial cancer - in contrast to breast cancer in menopausal women, endometrial cancer has the same risk when women have not entered menopause. Endometrial cancer is more likely triggered by the presence of central obesity and uncontrolled state of blood sugar.

Colorectal cancer - colorectal cancer in men is more common in individuals classified as obese based on body weight >27kg/m2. Whereas in women colorectal cancer is due to central obesity or distended stomach condition. There is a hypothesis that abnormal insulin hormone production in obese individuals triggers colorectal cancer.

Kidney cancer - if you have obesity the risk of kidney cancer in obese individuals. It is not known exactly how the effects of obesity on this cancer, but excessive insulin production in the blood in someone with obesity is likely to trigger the development of kidney cancer.

Esophageal cancer - the development of cancer in the esophagus can be triggered by conditions of reflux in the esophagus and cause the development of one form of adenocarcinoma cancer cells. Reflux conditions are more likely to be experienced by obese individuals and cause more severe inflammation.

Read also: 5 New Informative Facts About Insulin And Diabetes You Need To Know

Cancer that is triggered by obesity tends to occur in organs adjacent to the stomach where there is the most accumulation of fat in individuals with central obesity. In addition to the types of cancer above obesity is also associated with the risk of pancreatic cancer, gallbladder, and thyroid but it is not known exactly how the mechanism.

The type of cancer that is triggered by obesity depends on sex

Basically male and female individuals who are obese also have different cancer risk factors such as lifestyle and hormonal factors. In one study obese men were more likely to experience colorectal, prostate and lung cancer. While other studies show obese women who have menopause are more likely to experience endometrial, kidney, and breast cancer.

According to the National Cancer Institute, there are three cancers that most often occur in obese individuals including colorectal, breast and endometrial cancer. Two of the three types of cancer are experienced by women and tend to be related to the hormone estrogen.

Does losing weight and maintaining an ideal body weight can reduce cancer risk?

Basically maintaining ideal body weight is the most important thing in preventing the development of various degenerative diseases. We don't know exactly how to decline body weight prevents the occurrence of cancer, but maintaining ideal body weight is proven to prevent the occurrence of cancer. 

A study in Canada showed adults with a drastic increase in body weight were more at risk of developing cancer by 60% than somebody with an increase in body weight of about 1-5 kg in adulthood. 

In addition to preventing obesity, maintaining an ideal body weight with a healthy diet and regular physical activity can help you maintain endurance and prevent inflammation that can trigger the development of cancer cells.

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