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Obesity increases the risk of cancer

A study says that the main problem in Western society is the rise in obesity amongst adults.

Published on: Mar 3, 2006, 13:01:00 IST
None | By , Washington
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A new study has found that obesity increases the risk of cancer

HT Image
HT Image

One of the main problems in Western society is the rise in infant obesity the incidence of which has now reached that of obesity amongst adults.

It is known that a very high proportion of these children will be obese when they become adults. Treatment is complicated and so we have to take action on prevention and on encouraging healthy lifestyles and habits in the home, at school and so on.

Obesity produces significant changes in health, particularly those of a cardiovascular nature such as high arterial (blood) pressure, cardiopathy and ischemia; but also problems of a metabolic nature such as diabetes type 2 and changes in blood fat, apnea during sleep, alterations in the joints, and so on.

Obesity is also involved in changes in hepatic function - as a consequence of the infiltration of fat, the liver deteriorates and may end up with hepatic cirrhosis.

Society at large is aware that obesity is damaging in these ways to our health. What has not been known to date is that it is associated with certain cancers. This is important, for example, for women with a family history of breast cancer - obese members of these families are more likely to contract the disease.

Apart from clinical pathologies overweight causes psychological problems of self-esteem, symptoms of depression, anxiety, and so on. Thus, dealing with and treating all these means high health costs.

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