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The role of obesity in cancer development (simplified for a common audience)


Obesity is defined as an excess of body fat, which has extremely negative impacts on one’s health. Obesity is characterized by a high body mass index (Above 30 units (calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters)). It is caused by an imbalance between the number of calories one consumes and the number of calories their body needs to burn through metabolism and physical activities. A high calorie diet, especially one with unhealthy and processed foods, paired with a lack of physical activity and genetic factors can lead to obesity. But how does obesity, relate to cancer?

Cancer, is a group of diseases involving the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal, malfunctioning cells of the body. These abnormal cells tend to form a mass called a tumor. It is typically caused by genetic factors, environmental factors (exposure to UV light) and mainly due to lifestyle factors (poor dietary choices, lack of physical activity, and lack of sleep).

The way that obesity causes cancer is not that hard to understand, but is multi-faceted and deep-rooted: -

1.      When one is obese, their body tends to be in constant low-grade inflammation due to the fact that adipose tissue (fat) releases cytokines and adipokines (inflammatory agents). This inflammation tends to speed up cancer development and encourage tumor growth, as inflammatory conditions support cancer cell replication.

2.      Insulin resistance caused by poor diets involving lots of sugar (common in sugary and processed foods) can prevent abnormal cells from dying (or apoptosis in the medical world) and allowing them to replicate more easily.

3.      Hormonal imbalances also occur due to obesity. In obese individuals, there tends to be an excess of estrogen, a hormone associated with increased risk of endometrial cancer and breast cancer in females.

Overall, obesity tends to cause cancer through a mix of multiple factors, including insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, hormonal imbalances, altered immune systems, etc. It is important to understand the risks associated with obesity, so that people can understand the urgency of preventing and treating obesity in our sedentary lifestyles.

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