Cancer Risks
Excess body weight may be as dangerous as smoking when it comes to cancer. Recently published reviews report that excess body fatness raises the risk of at least 14 kinds of cancer:
- Brain/Meningioma
- Breast
- Blood/Multiple Myeloma
- Colon and Rectum
- Esophagus
- Gallbladder
- Kidney/Renal Cell
- Liver
- Ovaries
- Pancreas
- Prostate
- Stomach/Gastric Cardia
- Thyroid
- Uterus
Maintaining a healthy weight at every age, or reducing weight when necessary, is clearly an important cancer prevention goal. Body fat doesn’t just sit there. Excess fat can influence levels and metabolism of hormones like insulin and estradiol, and it has effects on inflammation and immune function. Overall, fat tissue activity creates an environment that encourages cell growth and discourages cell death – a perfect environment for cancer. Of course, you can do all the right things and still get cancer, but there is a great deal of evidence showing that eating well, being active and reducing weight can decrease risk.
Nancy Mazarin, MS, RDN, CDN