Want to Protect Yourself from Cancer? Lose Weight, Says Expert

Rebecca Lewis October 20, 2015

For every five-point increase in a person’s body mass index (BMI), there is a 62 per cent added risk of cancer in the uterus, and 25 per cent for kidney cancer – new research revealed.

The study, published in the Lancet journal, analysed data involving more than five million people to establish link between obesity and cancer. Other cancers linked to too much fat are breast cancer and endometrial cancer.

Dr Sally Norton, NHS consultant and a weight loss expert said as many as 41 per cent of womb cancers may be attributed to obesity. She explained that excess fats don’t just sit in the belly and do nothing.

’It produces hormones - one of which is oestrogen,’ she said. ’After the menopause, when the ovaries have stopped producing hormones, fat is the main source of oestrogen.

In men, obesity is linked to an increase risk of colon cancer.

’It is more likely in people with a higher waist to hip ratio - the classic male beer belly - and may be associated with increased insulin levels, seen in type 2 diabetes,’ she told Daily Mail UK.

Dr Norton added that 10 per cent of colon cancers are attributed to obesity.

Fatty liver disease, brought about by obesity, can also lead to cirrhosis which the doctor said is a major risk factor for liver cancer.

She said it can also fuel the development of oesophageal adenocarcinoma - gullet cancer. ’Losing weight can help your symptoms of indigestion, and should therefore reduce your risk of developing cancer later.

Tackling weight gain issues is a great step towards protecting ourselves from cancer. But don’t go with the ‘quick fixes’. Dr Norton said ’Eighty-five per cent of dieters regain all the weight they have lost, and more, by a year. She encourage focusing on small and sustainable changes to eating behaviour and general lifestyle for long-term weight control.

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What’s the one thing YOU can do to protect against cancer? It’s simple, LOSE WEIGHT, says expert