Cancer risk factors are usually broken down into two groups, avoidable factors and non-avoidable factors. The former are related to lifestyle (tobacco, diet, sun) and the second to so-called "internal" factors such as age and heredity. The National Cancer Institute says it: 40% of cancers result from exposure to these preventable risk factors. And while tobacco is currently considered to be the first of these, a recent report indicates that obesity will soon be equally implicated in women. Written by Cancer Research UK, the latter says that obesity should exceed smoking as a risk factor in this area in 25 years.
The researchers' projections show that in only 17 years (2035), 10% of cancers in women (about 25,000 cases) in Britain could be caused by smoking and 9% (about 23,000 cases) by an excess of weight. But by 2043, if this trend continues, being overweight may cause more cancer cases than smoking in women. The finding is not the same for men because the gap between obesity and tobacco as major causes of cancer should be reduced much later than in women. "And as more men smoke, they are more likely to develop tobacco-related cancers," they said in a statement.
Overweight associated with more than ten different cancers
Moreover, although the figures show that more men than women are suffering from obesity, the study states that some of the most common cancers that are directly related to them affect mainly, or even only women, such as cancer. breast, ovaries, and uterus. Many studies have already found that overweight or obesity in adulthood increases the risk of thirteen different types of cancer, including pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, intestinal cancer and kidney cancer. "Obesity is currently a huge threat to public health and will only get worse if nothing is done. "Says Professor Linda Bauld, prevention expert at Cancer Research UK.
It adds, "We need to learn from smoking prevention to reduce the number of weight-related cancers by helping to maintain a healthy weight and protecting children, because overweight children are five times more likely to to be so in adulthood. Researchers are calling on governments to implement measures such as banning junk food advertising before 9 pm and banning promotions on unhealthy food products. If these estimates only concern Great Britain, they explain that other countries may be concerned because the rate of obesity is constantly increasing in several regions of the world.
What about France?
"The decline in smoking shows how decades of health risk awareness efforts and measures such as banning smoking in indoor public spaces have paid off. But, as much remains to be done to help people quit smoking, we must also act to end the wave of weight-related cancers and ensure that this projection never becomes a reality, "concludes Professor Linda Bauld. In France, the Inca estimates that 2,300 deaths were caused by being overweight in 2000 but in view of the increase in obesity since that time, "this figure is certainly undervalued today. "
In its campaign to inform the French about the 40% of cancers that could be avoided, experts also specify that 20 to 25% of cancers are attributable to nutritional factors. To limit this risk factor, it is recommended to include in your daily diet fruits, vegetables as well as legumes (lentils, dried beans ...) that provide protein and fiber and whole grains and other cereals like quinoa or rye. Finally, a healthy lifestyle also consists of practicing at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every day, such as brisk walking, and limiting sedentary activities.
0 comments:
Post a Comment