Fat and Cancer

Tee Shiao Eek wrote an article about fat and cancer: Linking Fat to Cancer. It said:

The United States National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimates that about 3.2% of all new cancers in 2002 were linked to obesity. The US revealed even more alarming statistics in a recent report. An estimated 14% of deaths from cancer in men and 20% of deaths from cancer in women were due to overweight and obesity.

So is obesity linked to just any cancer?

No. Experts have concluded that obesity may account for 25-30% of the following major cancers: cancers of the colon, breast (in postmenopausal women), endometrium (the lining of the uterus), kidney, and oesophagus.

Some studies have also reported links between obesity and cancers of the gallbladder, ovaries, and pancreas.

What’s to be done then? Don’t become overweight or obese in the first place. Preventing weight gain not only reduces the risk of many cancers, but also the risk of other equally debilitating diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.

If you are already pushing it on the weighing scale, don’t despair. You can still reduce your risk by avoiding more weight gain, and attempting to lose weight.

Even a weight loss of only five to 10% of your total weight can provide health benefits, says the NCI.

Read the whole article here.