Newsletter 4 - Obesity and Cancers

While obesity is associated with many chronic metabolic diseases, it is also linked to the development and progression of numerous cancers. Overweight and obesity are associated with higher rates of cancer and account for 10% of new cancers each year in the United States. Obesity is linked with 12 types of cancers; colorectal, endometrial, postmenopausal breast, gallbladder, kidney, liver, esophagus, ovarian, pancreas, multiple myeloma and thyroid cancers. When fat cells become too enlarged and numerous in the overweight condition, they can over time, become stressed and dysfunctional and in a adverse microenvironment, such as poor oxygenation, etc., become damaged and release a host of pro-inflammatory hormones and proteins. They also release metabolic energy as fuel to developing cancer cells and can stimulate cancer growth and development. These inflammatory agents, known as cytokines, also decrease the ability of the body’s immune systems to detect and destroy abnormal and cancerous cells. These increased risks for cancer cell formation and growth can be reduced by achieving a decreased amount of fat cells through changing lifestyle behavioral eating patterns, medications, such as the GLP-1s, and /or bariatric surgery.