Know How Diabetes & Obesity Can Cause Cancer!

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Obesity and diabetes are two of the leading lifestyle diseases that have been affecting millions of people globally.

Blame it on the sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise and poor diet for the rising number of obesity and diabetes cases. Also a few of the cases might be hereditary too.

Getting it checked at the right time and getting the right medical intervention is essential in order to prevent the diseases. If left untreated, it might lead to other serious health problems and in certain cases it might turn fatal as well.

In a shocking revelation, Lancet, the medical journal, in its new study has found that diabetes and high BMI (more than 25kg/m2) were the cause of 5.6 per cent of the new cancer cases around the globe.

About The Study:

During the study, researchers had analysed 7,92,600 cases and found that new cases in 18 kinds of cancer, whose numbers were 5,44,300 occured due to high BMI. This is equivalent to 3.9 per cent of all cancers and nearly double that of the 2,80,100 cases attributable to diabetes (2 per cent).

For the study, the researchers calculated individual's BMI or body mass index which is a person's weight in kg divided by the square of height in metres. This is a measure recognised all over the world to determine obesity.

According to study, (24.5%) of the 7.66 lakh new cases of liver cancer, and 38.4% per cent of the 3.17 lakh new cases of endometrial cancer were due to high BMI and diabetes.

26.1 per cent of the new diabetes-related cancers (7.7 lakh cases) and 31.9 per cent of the new BMI-related cancers (1.74 lakh cases) were attributable to increase in the prevalence of these risk factors from 1980 to 2002.

India is believed to have approximately 62 million people with diabetes. The number seems to be further escalating. It is predicted that by 2030, diabetes mellitus may afflict up to 79.4 million individuals in India.

Also, the BMI obesity cut-off standard has been lowered from the global 25 kg/m2 to 22 kg/m2. This makes Indians prone to truncal obesity, that increases the risk of various ailments.

According to data collected by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence, India had 10,57,204 cases of cancer in 2012. The National Cancer Registry recorded around 14.5 lakh cancer cases in 2016-17 in the country.

For the study, researchers from Imperial College, London, University of Kent and International Agency for Research on Cancer assessed the increase in new cases of 18 cancers in 175 countries between 1980 and 2002, based on the prevalence of diabetes and high BMI.

The study was recently published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.

So how do we prevent cancer? Listed here are a few of the best ways to prevent cancer, check them out.

1. Healthy Diet:
Adding plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains in your diet can be helpful. Avoiding alcohol and limiting processed foods helps to prevent cancer.

2. Regular Exercise:
Maintaining a healthy weight is essential to prevent different diseases and also cancer. Regular exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes helps.

(With Agency Inputs)

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.