Obesity
Obesity and Cancer
According to the National Institute of Health, nearly two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese (2007). Research suggests that obesity may be the most preventable risk factor of cancer for non-smokers, and many studies are testing for the effects that obesity has in all cancers and at specific cancer sites. It is known that obesity plays a significant role in cancer; however, the knowledge of the relationship to all cancers and the overall health effect of excess weight in terms of total mortality from cancer is limited (Calle, Redriguez, Walker-Thurmond, & Thun, 2003). In this paper I will examine the research available on obesity and its relationship to breast cancer (in post-menopausal women), endometrial, colon, esophagus, kidney, and pancreatic cancers, and briefly mention a few other cancers currently being studied for a possible link to obesity.
The rise of obesity in the last 25 years has been most prominent in the United States. It is not, however, limited to the United States; for instance, similar trends are being seen in other developing countries. As it becomes easier to access tasty but unhealthy food options and as physical activity declines, caloric intake is now exceeding caloric expenditure. Genetic factors have been shown to predispose an individual to become obese, but environmental factors are the ultimate cause for the rise of obesity within populations. It is the metabolic consequences of obesity that are having an effect on cancer cell growth. The effects of circulating peptide and steroid hormones along with their binding factors are culprits linking obesity to cancer (Calle & Thun, 2000). Obesity creates an environment conducive for cancer cell proliferation. In this paper, I examine the effects of an altered stromal environment, insulin, insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), blood glucose levels, leptin, growth hormone (GH), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), androgens,...
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