With the improvement of people's living standards, changes in lifestyle and dietary structure, the number of obese people is growing day by day. When it comes to obesity, it is a relatively "heavy" topic, just like the weight you have. Even if we can rightly contradict others, "What's wrong with me being fat?".I didn't eat anything from your house", but we still have to admit in our hearts that there are really many disadvantages of obesity, from physiology to psychology, all aspects of destroying us without dead ends. In recent years, the claim that obesity causes cancer has sparked a lot of controversy. Some people think this is alarmist, while others believe that obesity does increase the risk of cancer. Is it really alarmist that obesity causes cancer?
1.What cancers does obesity predispose to?
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has found that obesity is associated with an increased risk of a variety of cancers. According to a survey released by the American Institute for Cancer Research, obesity is one of the main causes of rising cancer mortality in the United States, with as many as 1 in 3 cancer cases in the United States related to excess weight. According to a study by Swedish scientists, the incidence of cancer is 33% higher in obese people than in people with normal weight. Relevant studies in China have also shown that obesity is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer and other cancers. The IRC recently released the latest results of their cancer and weight study, which found that obesity accounts for 9% of all cancers among women in Europe, the United States and Central Asia. As the research on obesity and cancer is still advancing, there are currently 13 types of obesity-related cancers, which are breast cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, gallbladder cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, gastric cancer, thyroid cancer, brain tumor and multiple myeloma.
2.Why does obesity cause cancer?
Obesity is not only related to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and diabetes, but also related to the occurrence of a variety of cancers. The latest reports from the American Association for Cancer Research and the World Health Organization agree that the world's growing obesity has become a major cause of cancer. There are many reasons why obesity leads to cancer, and several possible mechanisms have been proposed:
The occurrence of cancer is associated with abnormal immune function, and the immune function of obese patients is generally abnormal. Most obese people have hypercholesterolemia and hyperinsulinemia. Elevated cholesterol leads to an increase in the cholesterol content of the body's macrophage membrane, resulting in a decrease in the ability of macrophages to engulf pathogens such as bacteria and viruses and foreign substances. Lymphocytes can also be inhibited due to high cholesterol in the cell membrane. In addition, adipocytes act as an umbrella for tumor immune evasion.
People with obesity often have elevated levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in their blood. High levels of insulin, a condition called hyperinsulinemia, are caused by insulin resistance and precede the development of type 2 diabetes, another known risk factor for cancer. High levels of insulin and IGF-1 may promote the development of colon, kidney, prostate and endometrial cancers.
Too much body fat can create "estrogen dominance". Adipose tissue produces excess estrogen, which induces cancers associated with abnormal metabolism of sex hormones, such as breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers.
Fat cells produce hormones called adipokines, which can stimulate or inhibit cell growth. For example, the level of a fat factor in the blood called leptin increases with increased body fat, and high levels of leptin can promote abnormal cell proliferation. Another fat factor, adiponectin, is found in lower amounts in obese people than in healthy weight people and may have antiproliferative effects that prevent tumor growth.
Many carcinogens and harmful substances are lipid melting, accumulating in fat, and the more animal fat you consume, the greater the likelihood of cancer. In addition, obesity is often accompanied by chronic inflammation, such as gallstones or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. These conditions can lead to oxidative stress, which can lead to DNA damage and increase the risk of biliary tract and other cancers.
3.How to reduce the risk of obesity causing cancer?
Obesity is a preventable disease, and the best way is to prevent it, and prevention is always easier and more effective than **. Many friends do not have the awareness of weight management, and they do not master the scientific methods of weight management, until the weight is out of control and the body continues to appear. To prevent obesity from causing cancer, we might as well start from the following three aspects:
Scientific fat loss. Fat loss is key to reducing the risk of obesity causing cancer. Through a reasonable diet and increased exercise, you can gradually reach a normal weight. Exercise is the best choice for fat loss, brisk walking, swimming, running, cycling, etc. are better ways. In general, exercise should last at least 30 minutes, with moderate to high-intensity interval exercise** being more effective. It should be noted that in the process of fat loss, it is necessary to follow the scientific method and avoid excessive dieting or excessive exercise, which can lead to damage to physical health.
Maintain good lifestyle habits. Quitting smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, and maintaining a good sleep schedule are all important measures to reduce the risk of obesity cancer. At the same time, increasing the intake of nutrients such as dietary fiber and vitamin D can help prevent cancer.
Regular medical check-ups. Regular physical examination and timely detection of physical abnormalities is an important means to prevent obesity and cancer. For high-risk groups, such as obese people and those with a family history of genetic diseases, it is necessary to strengthen the awareness of physical examination.
In short, obesity causes cancer not as an alarmist, but as a health problem that needs urgent attention. This further illustrates the importance of a healthy body, not just for aesthetics, but also for the health of our lives.