Once people are diagnosed with cancer, there is always a question on their mind: Why do I have cancer?
Some educated people may think of the 114 carcinogens defined by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) under the WHO, but for a specific type of cancer, most of them are difficult to trace the cause. As an example, it is difficult to say exactly what causes pancreatic cancer?
In a macroscopic analysis of the causes of cancer, genetic factors account for only 5% and environmental factors account for 95%. Diet and obesity (30% – 35%) are the most important factors, as well as smoking (25-30%), inflammation (15-20%), sexual factors (7%), alcohol and radiation, and so on.
Can diet and obesity really cause cancer?
Whenever you think of cancer patients, most people’s minds conjure up images of skinny patients lying in hospital beds. Yet statistics say that fat people are more likely to develop cancer?
Obesity can cause many diseases, including coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and osteoarthritis, etc. These common knowledge has been slowly accepted by the people of China, but the point of causing cancer is still less known.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) agrees that more than one-third of new cancer diagnoses in 2013 were caused by overweight and obesity due to dietary problems of quality and quantity, as well as lack of exercise (inactivity). Based on 28 large studies, the following cancers have been identified as having an increased incidence due to obesity: esophageal, pancreatic, bowel, breast (postmenopausal), endometrial, kidney, thyroid and gallbladder cancers.
Why does obesity cause cancer?
To summarize, there are five mechanisms.
1. Excess adipose tissue produces excess estrogen, increasing the risk of breast cancer and endometrial cancer.
2. The levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the blood of obese people are often higher, and IGF-1 can promote the progression of certain tumors.
3. Some hormones produced by adipocytes, such as leptin, can promote cell proliferation, while lipocalin, or has an anti-proliferative effect. Many cancers are caused by disorders of cell proliferation.
4, adipocytes can directly and indirectly act on mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and AMP-activated protein kinase. The former regulates cell growth, motility, cell survival, and protein synthesis. The latter is an enzyme involved in cellular energy balance.
5, obese people are often combined with chronic “subacute” inflammation, which is associated with increased cancer risk.
What is obesity?
Belgian mathematician Kettler in the middle of the 19th century proposed Body Mass Index (BMI), the Chinese translation for body mass index or height body mass index, weight (kg) / height (m) squared. According to this standard, BMI < 18.5, light weight; 18.5C24.99, normal range; > 25 – 29.99, overweight; ≥ 30 or more is obese. A not overweight adult, white adipose tissue accounts for 20% of the body weight of men and 25% of the body weight of women, obese people is this white adipose tissue increase.
What are the causes of obesity?
1, except for a very few hereditary reasons, medical reasons and mental illness, the main reason for obesity or excessive food calorie intake and exercise reduction. Various data point out that, except for some poor and backward areas, the average amount of food available per person per day around the world has been increasing. In the United States and Europe, some agricultural policies and technology to make food prices relatively lower, a variety of food programs in all kinds of media, but also played a role in promoting.
2, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and body temperature are vital indicators, while BMI is the healthiest indicator. Over 25 is unhealthy, obesity is disease. Anyway, no one is pulling your ears to feed you, and no one is prying open your mouth to give you a variety of sugary drinks. Only you can control your mouth.
3. Cancer can be prevented by quitting smoking, quitting drinking, vaccination, single fixed sex partner, etc. But the most important thing is to control the quality and quantity of diet, increase exercise and not to be overweight. If we compare human beings and cancer to a protracted war. Then reducing weight has become the first key to stopping cancer.
WHO believes that at least one third of cancers can be prevented, prevention is the best policy, early diagnosis is the middle policy, and treatment is the next policy. Don’t be overweight should be promoted as a national health education program to reduce medical pressure and social costs.