By Charlotte Webster-
Cancer Research UK has issued a warning to obese individuals in the UK to be aware of the link between obesity and cancer, and make urgent alterations to their lifestyle.
A study conducted by the research group found nearly 40% of all cancers could be avoided with lifestyle changes. Whilst the biggest avoidable cause of cancer is still smoking, researchers are pointing out that obesity still accounts for one of the causes of cancer in the U.K, and the world. Cancer is caused by damage to our DNA, and the damage is chiefly brought about by smoking, excessive drinking, and obesity, among other factors.
Cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco, many alcoholic drinks, are damage to our DNA and the build-up of such damage can cause a multiplication of damaged cells that can grow out of control.
According to the latest figures, 13.5% of people classed themselves as smokers in 2016 in Breckland, with men more likely to smoke than women. Since 2012 the proportion of smokers has fallen from 18.6pc.
The highest proportion of smokers was in Norwich, where 21pc of people reported smoking.
Cancer Research UK is now warning that excess waistlines caused by obesity contributes to cancer, and are urging adults to be more conscious of this fact, particularly when raising their children. excess weight is the second biggest preventable cause with around 22,800 cases attributed to people being overweight or obese.
Chief executive Sir Harpal Kumar said: “Obesity is potentially the new smoking if we’re not careful. My sense would be it’ll be some time in next couple of decades that we’ll see those two switches around.”
The study found that smoking remained the biggest preventable cause of cancer – responsible for around 55,000 cases nationally in 2015 /16.
The research published in the British Journal of Cancer shows that obesity causes 13 different types of cancer, including bowel, breast, womb and kidney, and more than one in 20 cases could be prevented by maintaining a healthy weight.
