Obesity needs to be controlled to contain the number of cancer deaths
November 16, 2008
A leading expert warned in a report in The Telegraph, that the growing obesity epidemic could lead to the number of cancer cases almost doubling in the next 40 years. Studies have shown that the possibilities of developing major killers like breast and kidney cancer rises as people become increasingly overweight. According to the expert’s predictions, if the trend is not checked, up to one third of British women and half of men could be obese by 2050, almost up by a quarter of the current stage.
In the opinion of a leading cancer professor, at a conference on obesity, in London, Britons are “sleep-walking” into an explosion of cancer unless we stop piling up the pounds. Professor Martin Wiseman, the medical and scientific advertiser to the World Cancer Research Fund, says that today’s children will face increasing threat of cancer as they grow up unless tough action is taken. In his words,
“Unless something happens soon to stop the increase in obesity then we are sleepwalking towards a situation where Britain will be facing more cancer cases than ever before.”
After not smoking, it is equally as important for one to maintain a healthy weight for cancer prevention. Weight is measured using the Body Mass Index which is calculated by weight in relation to height. A healthy weight is defined between 20-25 BMI but beyond that overweight between 25-30BMI. Beware as beyond 30 you are clinically obese.
However, a survey conducted by Yougov, found that only half of the population know that there is a link between bulging waistlines and the risk of developing cancer.
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