A new report from the Associated Press notes that one in 12 cancer cases can be a result of excess body weight. Andrew Renehan, cancer expert at the University of Manchester, told the AP that obesity could soon become the biggest traceable cause of cancer in women.
The report said that though doctors don’t know exactly why obesity causes cancer, they suspect that hormones play a huge role.
For example, heavier people produce more estrogen, which helps tumors grow. And, obese people of both genders produce more stomach acid. This can help provoke cancers in the stomach.
Doctors don’t have an easy answer on this subject. But, sources at National Cancer Institute said the AP report is clear evidence that obese Americans need to lower their cancer risk by getting more active.
October 13th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
There is a lot of research being done to determine how strong the links are between obesity and a variety of co-morbidities, including cancer, arthritis, asthma, and more.