Obesity Rise To Cause Cancer Increase?
A new report has reportedly claimed that the rise in obesity across the world will trigger a huge rise in cancer.
The research is led by Sir Michael Marmot, professor of epidemiology and public health at University College London.
Recent estimates by the World Cancer Research Fund shows that about seven million people die from cancer worldwide every year, and that figures was expected to rise to a staggering 10 million by 2020.
However, the estimated new cases annually is actually more like 10 million now, and that will rise to 16 million by 2020. The grim toll is expected to double in the next 40 years, and this should serve as a stark health warning.
Marmot commented: "With the same sense of urgency that at long last we're now starting to address the climate change agenda, let’s address the cancer agenda because we think that a large proportion of those cancer deaths are preventable or could be delayed," reports Marie Claire.
The new report, which will be published on Thursday won't focus on the issue of smoking, because reportedly the science behind it is now so well known. Instead it will look at weight gain and obesity, which leads to around 13,000 cancer cases in the UK every year.
"When we look at what's happened to obesity levels in this country, it's growing at an alarming rate. Anybody looking at the evidence would say there must be social and economic causes of that. It can't be that 20 million people individually said, 'I'll think I'll get fat.'" Marmot added.
A Department of Health spokesperson said: "Obesity is the biggest health challenge we face and many people simply don't know that being overweight can lead to major health problems, including cancer. The UK is leading the world when it comes to facing up to the problem and tackling obesity," reports Marie Claire.