The Obesity - Cancer Link

What is the world coming to? The sad answer is overweight and obese!

Currently 30% of the world’s population is overweight or obese and the numbers are increasing.

But does being overweight have a significant impact on cancer rates? Experts say YES!

According to one recent report, obesity is responsible for an estimated 500,000 cancer cases worldwide each year. Nearly two-thirds of obesity-related cancers, which include colon, rectum, ovary and uterine cancers, occur in North America and Europe.

Women are at the greatest risk. Compared to men, women are twice as likely to develop obesity-related cancer. The most common forms of which are postmenopausal breast, endometrial and colon cancer.
If current trends continue, estimates suggest that nearly half of the world’s adult population will be overweight or obese by 2030, which will automatically drive up cancer incidence as well.

The global cost of obesity is now at $2 trillion annually, which is nearly as much as the global cost of smoking ($2.1 trillion) and armed violence (including war and terrorism, which also has a global cost of $2.1 trillion).

The costs stemming from obesity are varied. The condition is associated with lost work days and lower productivity and higher health care costs due to all of the related diseases associated with obesity.

One huge danger of being overweight is the greatly increased probability of metabolic dysfunction. The primary driver of metabolic dysfunction is insulin resistance.

Insulin transports glucose from the bloodstream into our cells. When there is insulin resistance, the glucose stays in the bloodstream and can’t adequately enter the cells. It is like locking the gas cap on your car, when you are sitting at the gas station.

Insulin resistance is primarily caused by excessive sugar/and processed fructose consumption. What this means is that even if you don’t yet have clinical signs of metabolic dysfunction, the fact that you’re gaining excess weight is a sign that your health is jeopardy.

This is particularly important to consider when it comes to children. Childhood obesity is also on the rise, which implies that cancer rates may be fueled even more, especially among women, whose cancers are often driven by excess estrogen produced by fat cells.
In the US, childhood obesity rates have nearly tripled since 1980. One in five children are now overweight by age six. 17% of children and adolescents are obese and those number rise as they get older.

What’s Really Fueling the Obesity Epidemic?

The rise in obesity is not simply the result of eating too many calories and not exercising enough. While it is part of the equation, environmental and lifestyle factors appear to play a far more significant role in this trend.

Cancer Triggers Can Include:

1. The overuse of antibiotics in food production and medicine
2. Growth-enhancing drugs used in food animals
3. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including pesticides
4. Artificial sweeteners
5. The aggressive marketing of harmful junk food
6. The out of control consumption of processed foods
7. The consumption of genetically modified food and ingredients
8. The consumption of large quantities of sugar and high fructose corn syrup
9. The consumption of large quantities of hydrogenated vegetable oils and trans fats

How to Prevent Both Obesity & Cancer:

Fortunately, there is much you can do to lower your risk for obesity and cancer. Prevention is key. This is just a quick list. See the attached link for more details.

1. Eat whole organic produce and try to eat a lot of it uncooked
2. Opt for organic grass fed meats
3. Use glass storage containers to prevent exposure to toxins
4. Avoid frying and charbroiling
5. Have plenty of omega 3 fats
6. Optimize your gut bacteria
7. Exercise regularly
8. Maintain healthy levels of vitamin D
9. Get a good night’s sleep
10. Avoid toxins
11. Control your response to stress
12. Avoid excess radiation exposure, including x-rays and EMF
13. Intermittent fasting

Read More