Fact or Myth: Obesity Causes Cancer?

This is a FACT.

The link between obesity and cancer isn’t a tenuous one. In fact, a study published in the November 2014 edition of the The Lancet Oncology, found that obesity causes cancer to the tune of nearly 500,000 cancer cases worldwide every year! And that number is only rising…

causes of obesityThe Obesity/Cancer Link

An alarming 30% of the world’s population is either overweight or obese, a percentage that has doubled since 1980! And so have the rates of cancer. Experts estimate that by 2030 over half the world’s population will be overweight or obese, and cancer rates will increase accordingly.

The Lancet study revealed that over a period of 10 years a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 kg/m2 or greater significantly increased one’s likelihood of developing cancer. Specifically, obesity was responsible for 5.4% of all new cancers in women and 1.9% of all new cancers in men in 2012. Results showed that women were twice as likely as men to develop obesity-related cancers, particularly postmenopausal breast, endometrial, and colon cancers.

What’s Diet Got to Do with It?

Diet has everything to do with it! Research revealed that people from developed nations had a significantly higher incidence of cancer than people from developing nations. Obesity was responsible for 8% of the cancers in females from developed nations, compared to 1.5% of the cancers in females from developing nations. Obesity lead to 3% of the cancers in men from developed nations, and only 0.3% of cancers in men from developing nations!

A large portion of the blame can be placed on the processed foods that are dietary staples in developed nations, like North America and Europe, home to two-thirds of obesity-related cancers.

Obesity is a marker for metabolic dysfunction, which is caused by the overconsumption of processed foods full of excess sugar and carbohydrates, genetically engineered ingredients, artificial sweeteners, and trans fats.

Focus on consuming real whole food and purging your pantry of packaged, boxed, and processed foods. Eat organic produce and grass-fed meats. Cook your food lightly with coconut oil, which doesn’t become rancid in high heats. Add some anti-cancer spices to your cuisines. Exercise three to five times a week. And get out into the sun for a daily dose of vitamin D. Replace the bad habits with these healthful lifestyle behaviors, and obesity-related cancer doesn’t stand a chance!