Obesity & Cancer : Some Q & A.

Q: Medically speaking, how does one decide whether someone in obese?

A: While colloquially one refers to anyone with extra fat in their body as obese, medical speaking, an obese person in someone who has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more , the BMI being calculated using the formula BMI = weight in kilograms / ( height in m X height in m).

Q: Is being obese the same as being over weight.

A: No, an overweight person is someone who’s BMI is equal to 25 or more, but is less than 30.

Q: Is the issue of obesity relevant to India?

A:  Studies have found that approximately 30 – 35 % of women in Delhi and Punjab are obese. Kerala and Goa follow closely.

 Q Is it true that obese persons are prone to certain cancers.

A4: Yes, obese persons are more prone to certain cancers, the risk also being dependent on gender and some other factors.

Q : Is obesity associated with an increased risk of breast cancer?

A  :Breast cancer is known to occur due to prolonged exposure to the female hormone estrogen. While the ovaries stop producing estrogen at menopause, fat cells continue to produce estrogen even after menopause. The higher levels of estrogen production in obese women predisposes them to developing breast cancer. This risk is highest in women aged 70 year and above. 

Q: Does obesity impact the chances of recovery from breast and other cancers?

A: A higher BMI results in poorer chances of recovery from breast cancer, cancer of the gall bladder as well as cancer of the uterus , kidney and food pipe, i.e. oesophagus.

Q  :Does being obese predispose women to any other cancers besides breast cancer?

A : Yes, obese women are more prone to developing cancer of the uterus. Besides this there are certain cancers, which occur more often in obese persons irrespective of gender.

Q : Which are these cancers that occur more often both in obese men as well as obese women?

A  : Cancer of the large intestine occurs more often in obese men and women but the risk is higher for men. This is likely to men being more likely to have fat deposits as the waist level, unlike women in whom the fat deposition may also be in the hips and thighs. This cancer has a stronger association with fat at the waist level.

Cancer of the lower end of the food pipe is also seen more often in obese persons likely due to reflux of acid from the stomach, leading to chronic irritation of the lower end of the oesophagus.

Gall stones occur more often in obese persons. These in turn predispose to cancer of the gall bladder.  Cancer of the pancreas also occurs more often in obese persons; this is thought to be due to higher levels of insulin in the body and its resultant ill effects

Obese men are also more likely to develop prostate cancer as compared to their slimmer counterparts.

Q : Does losing weight help?

A: Always. Not only does it reduce the risk of diabetes and heart ailments , losing weight also decreases the risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer. The impact of weight loss on other cancers is under study.