EFN

According to researchers who looked at seven cancers with known links to obesity, more than 6 percent of all the approximated 1.6 million cancer cases that are annually diagnosed in the U.S. result from obesity and over-weight.

The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) has presented findings that give “convincing evidence” that obesity is responsible for over 100,000 specific types of cancers annually. Te types of cancer that were most strongly linked to excess body fat are breast cancer, with 33,000 cases a year caused by obesity; endometrium (the inner membrane of the uterus), with 20,700 cases a year; kidney, with 13,900 cases; colon, 13,200; pancreas, 11,900; esophagus, 5,800; and gallbladder, 2,000.

“We now know that carrying excess body fat plays a central role in many of the most common cancers,” said Dr. Laurence N. Kolonel, deputy director of the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii and a member of the reporting panel.

“And it’s clearer than ever that obesity’s impact is felt before, during and after cancer — it increases risk, makes treatment more difficult and shortens survival.”

“We need to control our weight and our physical activity. People should be very cognizant of what they’re eating, how much they’re eating and how physically active they are,” said Dr. Lawrence Kolonel.

Researchers have yet to pin down the exact link between obesity and cancer. They said it was “probable” that extra abdominal fat may be a cause of breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

Approximately one-third of all adults in the U.S. are considered obese, which increases the danger of diabetes, heart disease and other health problems. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the U.S. after heart disease.