Consumer Health Features
Obesity and cancer link real, top Bariatric surgeon talks risks
By April MacIntyre Mar 29, 2012, 14:30 GMT
Monsters and Critics spoke to Dr. Carson Liu, MD, a noted bariatric surgeon and weight-management expert in Los Angeles.Dr. Carson Liu prepares a patient for weight-loss. Photo courtesy of Dr. Liu/ Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times
Compelling new information has linked obesity to cancer directly.
A new report from the journal Cancer links obesity to cancer: "The American Cancer Society estimates that one-third of the more than 572,000 cancer deaths in the United States each year can be attributed to diet and physical activity habits, including overweight and obesity...."
The study is co-authored by researchers from the CDC, the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society. More:
Previously, obesity was linked to everything from arthritis to heart disease. But this is the first major study to provide a causal relationship between obesity and cancer.
Smoking continues to be the number one cause of cancer. Thus, the study concludes that more than two-thirds of all cancer deaths in the U.S. are preventable.
Monsters and Critics spoke to Dr. Carson Liu, MD, a noted bariatric surgeon and weight-management expert in Los Angeles. Dr. Liu established the bariatrics department at the UCLA School of Medicine. LINK
Monsters and Critics: What are the most common forms of cancer that obesity can cause?
Dr. Liu: The most prevalent cancers are breast, colon, and prostate but treatments have gotten better and survival has improved. In this particular new study, kidney, esophageal and pancreatic cancer deaths have increased along with obesity.
M&C: How does Diabetes affect cancer?
Dr. Liu: Diabetes suppresses the immune system and increases the chances of getting cancers! Unfortunately, diabetes also increases heart disease and pneumonias which are the most common causes of early death.
M&C: Can bariatric surgery really prolong someone's life overall?
Dr. Liu: Weight loss surgery can increase lifespan 10-20 years, but better studies will be needed to prove if it can prolong it even more.
