2023-05-15 06:00:00
According to a new study presented at the European Obesity Congress in Dublin, Obesity, whether metabolically healthy or unhealthy, is associated with an increased risk of various cancers.
Obesity is a major public health problem worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity has tripled worldwide since the 1970s and affected around 650 million adults in 2016. In Europe, around a third of adults are overweight and almost a fifth are obese.
Researchers studied more than 797,000 European individuals to assess this relationship between certain types of obesity and cancer risk. They found that obese men with metabolic complications had a higher risk of different types of obesity-related cancers, while in women this so-called “unhealthy” obesity was linked to an increased risk of colon cancer. , endometrium and kidney.
Obesity associated or not with metabolic complications
Research has focused on the link between certain cancers and obesity when the latter is linked or not to metabolic complications. The scientists analyzed the interplay between body mass index and metabolic health as assessed through their blood pressure, blood sugar and triglycerides.
The results showed an increased link between obesity associated with metabolic disorders and cancers of the colon, pancreas, liver and kidneys compared to patients who were overweight but without other metabolic disorders.
In women, the risk was 21% increased for colon cancer, and in men, those who were obese and in poor health had an 85% increased risk of colon cancer and 32% increased risk of pancreatic cancer. These figures underline the importance of better obesity management and cancer prevention in at-risk populations.
The importance of obesity prevention
For the researchers, these results underline the importance of preventing obesity and its metabolic complications in reducing the risk of cancer. Indeed, a significant number of cancers might be prevented by targeting the coexistence between obesity and other metabolic disorders.
It is therefore essential to make the population aware of the importance of a healthy and balanced diet as well as regular physical exercise to prevent obesity and its complications and thus reduce the risk of associated cancer. It is also important that governments and public health organizations invest in prevention programs to help protect the health of their people. “These programs might include awareness campaigns, nutrition education programs, initiatives to encourage physical activity and support measures to enable people with obesity to receive appropriate medical treatment.“, underline the authors of the study.
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