Does obesity affect cancer risk- Archanaagarwaldiet.com

Being Overweight or Obese means that a person has too much Unhealthy Body Fat in relation to Lean Body Tissue, such as muscle or Unhealthy distribution of body fat. Many factors can cause Obesity including Genetic, Hormonal, Environmental, Emotional and Cultural factors.

 Overweight people have a Higher Risk of much serious health conditions, including Type 2 Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Cardiovascular diseases as well as an increased risk of many types of Cancer.

 Cancer begins when Genetic changes interfere with the orderly process of Growth and Division of Cells which are the basic units that make up the human body.

 According to experts belief the increased risk of Cancer in an Obese individual is largely due to the Inflammation caused by Visceral Fat- the fat that surrounds the Vital Organs.

 The excessive Visceral Fat affects certain very important processes in our body like the management of Hormones like Insulin and Estrogens. The increased number of large Visceral Fat cells don’t have much room for oxygen. This low-Oxygen Environment triggers Inflammation.

 INFLAMMATION, is the Body's Natural Response to any Injury, Infection, Chemical or even an Undigested protein particle which the body regards as a Threat to its Survival.

 For example, if we get a deep cut, the area around the cut becomes inflamed i.e. it becomes red and painful to touch. This kind of minor Inflammation helps to Repair the damaged tissue and help with the Healing process.

In contrast, long-term Inflammation caused by excess visceral fat can damage the body and increase the risk for Cancer.

 The Uncontrollable Division and Reproduction of cells which happens in Cancer – increase the probability/ risk of DNA damage due to Genetic Changes and resulting in Tumor Formation due to genetic changes causing the cells to grow uncontrollably.

Excess body fat increase the risk for several Cancers, including Colorectal, Post-menopausal, Breast, Uterine, Esophageal, Kidney, and Pancreatic Cancers.

The Reasons That Link Obesity with Cancer – 

Inflammation and Insulin/ Insulin growth factor -1 (IGF-1)

ð Chronic inflammation results in raised Insulin and Insulin growth factor-1 levels.

ð Inflammation caused by Obesity results in INSULIN RESISTANCE – when the body does not respond to Insulin correctly, it results in increased production of Insulin to make up for that and regulate Blood Sugar levels.

ð The increased insulin production triggers an increase in the number of cells produced which in turn increases the risk for tumor formation leading to Cancer.

Estrogen and Cancer

ð Increased levels of insulin also affect the way Hormones like Estrogens are controlled.

ð More Insulin leads to more Estrogen production by Fat Tissues and its availability which increases the Cancer risk due to increase cell production.

ð Normally in women, the main source of Estrogen are the Ovaries.

ð In men, Testosterone is converted to Estrogen by an enzyme. However, fat cells in both men and women also make Estrogen leading to too much Estrogen in obese people.

ð In women, too much Estrogen is linked to an increased risk for Post Menopausal Breast, Endometrial and Ovarian cancers. 

Chronic Inflammation and Cancer

ð Chronic, low level Inflammation is more common in Obese individuals with Obesity. As mentioned earlier long term inflammation caused by excess Visceral Fat results in uncontrollable cell production which damages the cells around them and increases the risk for Cancerous tumors.

Obesity and Tumour Growth Regulators

ð Fat cells adversely affect processes that Regulate Cancer cell growth. Their adverse effects on Tumor Growth on regulators increase the risk for tumor formation.

 

Weight Changes and Cancer Risk

Studies have shown that the following factors can affect the Cancer risk:

·        High Birth Weight

·        Gaining Weight as an Adult

·        Losing and Gaining Weight repetitively

Maintaining a constant Healthy Weight has been associated with lower risk of Cancer and Cancer reoccurrence in Survivors

Steps for Maintaining a Healthy Body Weight/ Preventing Obesity

A Change in LIFESTYLE Behaviours: Eating a Healthy Plant Rich Diet based on Seasonal Choices of Non Starchy Vegetables, Fruits, Whole Grains/Legumes and Healthy fats in the form of Nuts and Seeds.

Staying Active: One should aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity in a week.

Restful Sleep: Fatigue instigates Unhealthy choices in the form of wrong and increased food intake and sedentary Lifestyle.

Restful sleep of 8 hours optimises body function.

Behaviour change support: Being Overweight is a complex situation and not just about eating too much and/ or exercising too little. Getting support while trying to lose weight helps to make Healthy Lifestyle changes and also stick with them over time.