Introduction

A ‘groundbreaking’ study found that being overweight or obese puts people at risk of five more cancers than previously thought.

Study Results

WHO researchers have found that overweight people between the ages of 18 and 40 are more likely to develop 18 different types of deadly diseases.

The researchers tracked more than 2.6 million people with BMI throughout their lives to see how it affected risk.

Newly identified weight-related cancers include leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and, among people who have never smoked, head, neck and bladder cancer.

Dr. Heinz Fresling, co-leader of the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer research, said clinicians should be aware of the higher risk of cancer in obese people.

He added: “The results of our study confirm an overestimation of the burden of cancer associated with overweight and obesity, which is currently likely to be underestimated.”

The World Health Organization has previously linked being overweight or obese to at least 13 different types of cancer.

Research Methodology

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, examined the medical records of residents of Catalonia, Spain, from 2009 to 2018.

None of them had cancer at the start of the study, and by the end of the study, 225,396 people had been diagnosed with cancer.

Implications and Recommendations

The researchers found that those who were overweight or obese were more likely to develop 18 types of cancer, including five newly identified types.

“These findings support the implementation of primary health care strategies for cancer prevention. They should focus on preventing and reducing early overweight and obesity. This groundbreaking study marks a major milestone in understanding the complex relationship between overweight/obesity and cancer risk.”

“These findings provide the global community with a powerful new tool to shape targeted interventions, develop effective prevention strategies, and ultimately have a significant impact on cancer outcomes worldwide.”

Dr Panayota Mitro of the World Cancer Research Foundation added: “This large study has future public health implications as additional cancers such as leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma have been shown to be associated with overweight and obesity. The data show that maintaining a healthy weight throughout life is one of the most important things people can do to reduce their risk of developing cancer, and prevention in early adulthood is key.”

Source

Source: Sun