Obesity and cancer

Excerpt

Globally, the prevalence of obesity has almost tripled since 1975, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It affects adults and children and not only those living in high-income countries; the rates of obesity have increased dramatically in middle- and low-income countries. In children and adolescents, obesity increased from 0.7 to 5.6% in boys, and from 0.9 to 7.8% in girls worldwide between 1975 and 2016 [1]. Obesity is a risk factor for several health conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, fatty liver disease, and a number of cancers. In 2016, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) identified 13 cancer sites that were associated with increased body mass index (BMI): esophagus (adenocarcinoma); gastric cardia; colon and rectum; liver; gallbladder; pancreas; breast (postmenopausal); corpus uteri; ovary; kidney (renal cell); meningioma; thyroid, and multiple myeloma [2]. In 2012, it was estimated that 3.9% of new cancers worldwide were attributable to overweight and obesity, and it has long been known that obesity is associated with cancer mortality [3]. …