How excess body fat raises the risk of 13 cancers
A World Health Organization report links excess body fat to 13 different types of cancer, with experts comparing the health risks of obesity to smoking. Visceral fat is identified as a primary driver of inflammation and abnormal cell growth.
Why it matters
Understanding the biological link between obesity and cancer is critical for public health awareness and preventative medical strategies.
A recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO) has linked 13 cancers to excess body fat. WHO says people who are obese or have excess fat are at risk of getting breast, colon, stomach, liver and endometrial cancers, among other cancers.
Dr Andrew Odhiambo, a medical oncologist at Nairobi Hospital Cancer Centre, says there have been many studies showing the link between obesity and cancer: “In fact, we in the cancer community now call it the new smoking. It's almost as bad as smoking or being sedentary and not exercising.”
Dr Odhiambo explains that the main culprit is visceral fat, the fat stored deep around the abdominal area.
“This visceral fat promotes inflammation throughout the body by producing insulin, insulin growth factors, and many cytokines that promote cell growth,” he says. “Those are the same mechanisms that lead to cancer.”
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