Cancer
Obesity linked to elevated risk of cancer
By Ben Wasserman
Apr 20, 2008 - 12:05:38 PM

SUNDAY April 20, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) – A report by Pischon T and colleagues from German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke once again reminds the readers that obesity has been recognized as a risk factor for a number of cancers.

Obese people had an approximately 1.5-3.5 fold increased risk of developing breast cancer, cancers of the endometrium, colon and kidney and malignant adenomas of the esophagus compared to those who had normal body weight.

According to the report published in the May 2008 issue of the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, an estimated 15 to 45 percent of the cancers may be attributed to overweight and obesity in Europe.

More recent studies also have associated obesity with increased risk of other types of cancers including pancreatic, hepatic and gallbladder cancers.

The underlying mechanisms for the increase risk of cancer remain unknown.  But the authors say the possible mechanisms include insulin resistance, resultant chronic hyperinsulinaemia, and increase production of insulin-like growth factors or increase bio-availability of steroid hormones.

The prevalence of obesity defined as a BMI 30 kg/m2 or higher has been increased to about 20 percent in the past couple of decades in the industrialized countries, according to the report.