How Obesity Affects Your Risk of Cancer
There are many factors that inspire people to start their weight-loss journeys, from improving their joint health to spending more time with their kids. One common reason people seek out bariatric surgery and weight loss is to lower their risk of developing certain medical conditions and obesity comorbidities.
Obesity comorbidities are health issues that people are more likely to develop as a result of being overweight. Some common obesity comorbidities include high blood pressure, insulin resistance, arthritis, diabetes, and gallbladder disease, but obesity is also a common cancer risk factor.
Obesity and Cancer
Research has made the link between obesity and cancer very clear: obesity increases cancer risk. Studies have found that being obese increases your chances of developing the following cancer types:
- Ovarian
- Thyroid
- Uterine
- Colorectal
- Esophageal
- Pancreatic
- Breast
- Liver
- Kidney
- Upper Stomach
- Gallbladder
- Multiple Myeloma
- Meningioma
Obesity Cancer Risk: Potential Causes
While researchers have been able to clearly pinpoint cancer as one of the most common obesity comorbidities, the exact reason for this relationship is still unclear. Ongoing research seeks to uncover more about why obesity and cancer are related. Several theories for the link between obesity and cancer have been proposed, including:
Estrogen
Adipose or fat tissue releases abnormally high amounts of a hormone called estrogen. Excess estrogen in the body may increase the risk of certain cancers like ovarian, breast, and endometrial cancers.
Inflammation
Another common cancer risk factor is inflammation. When there is a lot of excess fat around the body’s vital organs, inflammation increases. Over time, high levels of inflammation lead to a higher risk of developing many health conditions, including cancer.
Insulin
Another obesity comorbidity is elevated levels of insulin in the blood. Research suggests that there may be a connection between elevated insulin blood levels and cancers of the prostate, endometrium, colon, and kidneys.
Losing Weight and Cancer Risk
Obesity is a cancer risk factor, so it’s natural to wonder what effect weight loss has on cancer risk. Weight loss does decrease levels of certain hormones that increase cancer risk, like estrogen and insulin.
Research on how losing weight specifically affects cancer risk is still in its early stages, but the studies do suggest that weight loss is associated with lower cancer risk. Some research has focused on participants who underwent bariatric surgery and suggests this procedure is related to lowered overall cancer risk and reduced risk of certain cancers like prostate, breast, endometrial, and colon.
If you would like to learn more about how bariatric surgery could be a part of your weight-loss journey, reach out to Wellstar Bariatrics. We offer several different bariatric procedure options and are committed to tailoring the entire process—from surgery to recovery and beyond—to your lifestyle and individual needs. Contact us today to find out more.
