Childhood Obesity and 'The Ticking Cancer Timebomb'

Cancer is now the biggest killer in the UK, with death rates highest in Scotland, although the most deaths are caused by lung cancer, which takes the lives of more than 4000 people each year mostly as a result of smoking there are over 20,000 cases of prostate cancer, now the most common form of cancer among men, diagnosed in the UK each year.

Major types of cancers linked to obesity in adults include ovarian, breast, colon and prostate although the link is certain researchers have not come up with conclusive reasons why obesity causes cancer, the researchers believe that one reason may be that fat cells produce a build-up of cancer-causing hormones in the body.

The theory if proved would mean that people who are overweight from childhood would have a build up of dangerous chemicals over a longer period and would therefore be at a greater risk of developing cancer.

The paper has won support from cancer and obesity specialists Helen Croker, a dietician at Cancer Research UK, describing the study as “invaluable”.

Cancer Research UK say with studies are looking at the effects of children being overweight and blood pressure and glucose levels, but now people beginning to take an interest in childhood obesity and cancer with researchers trying to find out what is causing it.

Ms Croker says a lot of the public don’t even realise the link between obesity and cancer. It’s not that widely known among health professionals, either, the results of this study might help us understand a bit more about how and why there is a link.

The Government backed National Obesity Forum, described obesity as the “single biggest preventable cause of cancer after smoking”.

Their view is the research has flagged up the fact that getting cancer is something that does not happen overnight, with obese adults starting out as obese children and it now seems that is where the physiological damage began.

Given that childhood obesity has doubled over the past 15 years, it really does impress again how important it is to tackle the problem and not wait until overweight kids are fat adults.

The whole concept of nutrition needs redressing not only food advertising, but also at the way food is prepared and what is served in schools, the way children are fed at home and how they are educated about health and nutrition.

Sources: Cancer Research UK, D of H Acknowledgements; Bristol University

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