WHY PEOPLE WITH OBESITY CAN EASILY GET CANCER?

🤔 You may be surprised to learn that being overweight or having obesity is linked with a higher risk of getting cancer. These cancers comprise 40% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States annually.  

👉 So, why does obesity relate to cancer? Let's figure it out with MSc Nutritional Specialist Doctor Nguyen Phuong Anh at CarePlus International Clinics!   

❗ Weights higher than a healthy weight for a given height are called overweight or obesity. Overweight and obesity can cause changes in the body, including long-lasting inflammation and higher than normal levels of insulin, insulin-like growth factor, and sex hormones. These changes may lead to cancer. The risk of cancer increases with the more excess weight a person gains and the longer a person is overweight.  

1/ How do we determine the obesity range?  

Body mass index (BMI) is used as a screening tool for overweight and obesity. Association guidelines in 2022 defined a BMI ≥25 kg/m2 as overweight but recommended that Asians consider a BMI ≥23 kg/m2 as overweight.  

👉 However, the disadvantage of BMI is that it cannot differentiate between muscle and fat mass, while obesity is a condition of excess fat mass. Therefore, the best way to determine obesity is through Body composition assessment using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) (Inbody Machine). If the body fat percentage is over 25% in men and over 30% in women, it is considered obese.

CarePlus International Clinics equip the Inbody 270 machine, which helps you accurately measure the amount of fat - muscle, water, and bone in just 60 seconds. From there, determine your body condition to plan your suitable diet and exercise.  

2/ Which cancers are related to obesity?  

Being overweight or having obesity is linked with a higher risk of getting 13 kinds of cancer: Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, Breast (in women who have gone through menopause), Colon and rectum, Uterus, Gallbladder, Upper stomach, Kidneys, Liver, Ovaries, Pancreas, Thyroid, Meningioma (a type of brain cancer), Multiple myeloma.  

Being overweight or having obesity doesn't mean that someone will definitely get cancer. But it does mean that they are more likely to get cancer than if they kept a healthy weight.  

👉 Therefore, the best way to prevent cancer is to keep your weight, or more precisely, your body fat percentage, within a normal range by living a healthy, active lifestyle and diligently participating in sports and exercises.  

Don't hesitate to come to CarePlus to get advice and support from a team of experienced Nutritionists.  

✅ The Nutrition examination package at CarePlus is designed with a full range of items to help accurately assess body condition. Through anthropometric assessment, dietary assessment, and clinical examination, the Doctor will advise individualized nutrition and an appropriate exercise regimen for each customer.