Scaling back: experts say we need to cut obesity rates to combat cancer
Experts from Cancer Research UK have warned that British people are not suffi ciently aware of the link between obesity and cancer. A new report from the charity showed that, when asked which serious health conditions that could be caused by being obese, only one in four people mentioned cancer – whereas CRUK says that having a high BMI is the single biggest preventable cause of cancer after smoking, causing a potential 18,100 cases of cancer every year. The report also showed a lack of awareness about the range of cancers that are caused by obesity – which includes post-menopausal breast cancer, womb and ovarian cancer. CRUK has called on the Government to do more to raise public awareness, and to take action to reduce the growing incidence of childhood obesity in Britain by restricting junk food ads around family TV shows.
Keen to reduce your risk? You don’t need to aim for a supermodel fi gure – just keep running, eat well and try to keep your BMI below or around 25. “There’s a lot of evidence that physical activity is really important in reducing cancer risk, so if you are fi t, eating healthily and maintaining a body weight that’s above average then that’s better than a sedentary person that’s gaining weight,” says Dr Emma Crosbie from the University of Manchester, an expert on obesity-linked reproductive cancers. But, she adds, “Clearly, maintaining a healthy BMI is the ideal.”