Obesity is on rise all over the world due to changes in life style and dietary habits of the people. According to national health and nutrition examination surrey (NHANES) report 1999-200, 64 percent of the adult population in America is overweight and almost one third of the adults are obese (31% adults aged 20 years or older suffer from obesity). This is an alarming fact, moreover obesity is also affecting the pediatric age group; more and more children are getting obese.
The tremendous rise in obesity is also putting a lot of burden on the health system due to obesity related complications. Diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular diseases are well-known complications of obesity now cancer of different organs of the body has been linked to obesity. There are solid evidences that obese people are at more risk of different types of cancers and most important among those are, colon cancer, breast cancer, uterine cancer, pancreatic cancer and gall bladder cancer. According to an estimate 41000 new case of cancer in 2002 were due to obesity that shows that 3.2% all new cases of cancer are related to obesity.
Several studies published in world’s renowned journals declare obesity a risk factor for colon cancer. The exact mechanism how obesity increases the risk for colon cancer is not fully known. The most probable explanation seems to be insulin resistance which is especially more common in people who have abdominal obesity. Older people who are obese are particularly at higher risk of developing colon carcinoma and this risk increases with severity and duration of obesity.
In a research published in American journal of epidemiology, 12000 adults between the ages 55 to 69 years were followed for sixteen years at Maastricht University, Netherlands. During the study period, 2% of the cases developed colorectal carcinoma, tumors of the colon and rectum; mainly colon cancer. The lead researcher of this study: Laura Hughes, found that people who were obese or significantly overweight had 25% higher risk of developing colon cancer than people with normal weight. Moreover more central fat was a greater risk for colon cancer.
Colon cancer can be devastating for health and reduces life expectancy along with a lot of misery for the patient. Protection against colon cancer is possible through weight loss. The research shows that even 5 to 10 pounds loss of excess weight improves the chances of survival and coming to normal weight reduces the risk of colon cancer to minimum. It should be remembered that more advantage lies in losing weight as early as possible.
Losing weight and coming to normal weight is really a difficult task in severely obese people. The research shows that morbid obesity (BMI more than 40 or BMI 35 with some serious medical ailment) can only be managed effectively by weight loss surgery. Patients who have severe obesity should immediately contact a dedicated Bariatric surgery hospital for losing weight quickly and reducing their risk for colon cancer. It should also be memorized that safe Bariatric surgery is only performed at specialized Bariatric surgery hospitals which are renowned for their success and safety over the years. Patient should not commit a mistake in selecting a facility for Bariatric surgery. An apparently cheap surgery centre, not necessarily provide safe surgery and can result into serious complications.
Photo Credit: Células cancerígenas de cáncer de cuello by fotosinteresantes, on Flickr
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