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05/12/2006
Obesity 'could increase number of cancer cases'
Rising obesity levels could lead to up to 12,000 new cases of cancer being diagnosed in the UK by the year 2010, a leading cancer charity has warned.
Cancer Research UK warned that if obesity levels continued to rise, then the number of cancer cases linked to excess weight, including breast, womb, kidney and bowel cancer, would increase.
Around 24.2 million people in the UK are overweight or obese, but the government has predicted that the figure will increase by 14% to 27.6 million by 2010.
Professor Tim Key from Cancer Research UK said: "It is now established that being overweight increases the risk of developing several types of cancer.
"The effects on breast and womb cancer are almost certainly due to the increased production of the hormone oestrogen in the fatty tissue.
"We are less sure of the precise mechanisms in other obesity related cancers but we can confidently predict that the number of these cases will increase unless the rise in obesity in Britain can be reversed."
The charity said that a comprehensive strategy was needed in order to stop increasing obesity levels in the UK, particularly amongst young adults and children.
After smoking, obesity is one of the most important preventable causes of cancer.
(KMcA)
Cancer Research UK warned that if obesity levels continued to rise, then the number of cancer cases linked to excess weight, including breast, womb, kidney and bowel cancer, would increase.
Around 24.2 million people in the UK are overweight or obese, but the government has predicted that the figure will increase by 14% to 27.6 million by 2010.
Professor Tim Key from Cancer Research UK said: "It is now established that being overweight increases the risk of developing several types of cancer.
"The effects on breast and womb cancer are almost certainly due to the increased production of the hormone oestrogen in the fatty tissue.
"We are less sure of the precise mechanisms in other obesity related cancers but we can confidently predict that the number of these cases will increase unless the rise in obesity in Britain can be reversed."
The charity said that a comprehensive strategy was needed in order to stop increasing obesity levels in the UK, particularly amongst young adults and children.
After smoking, obesity is one of the most important preventable causes of cancer.
(KMcA)
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