OBESITY RELATED CANCERS

Obesity is a condition in which a person has an unhealthy amount and/or distribution of body fat. A scale known as the body mass index (BMI) is often used to measure obesity. The rate of obesity has been increasing throughout the U.S., and Iowa is no exception. According to the 2017 report called The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America, Iowa has the 13th highest obesity rate in the nation. Since 1991, the percentage of Iowans with obesity has doubled from 15% to 30%, with one in three Iowans currently obese.

While most Americans are aware that obesity increases the risk for numerous health problems including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, only half of Americans are aware that obesity is a major risk factor for cancer. Scientific evidence exists linking excess body weight to higher risk of several types of “obesityrelated” cancers including: postmenopausal breast, colorectal, thyroid, uterine, ovarian, esophageal adenocarcinoma, kidney, pancreatic, liver, gastric, gallbladder, malignant meningioma, and multiple myeloma. In Iowa in 2015, there were 6,955 cases of obesity-related cancers that accounted for 40% of all cancers. The exact explanation for the relationship between obesity and cancer risk remains unclear, but it is known that fat tissue is highly active, producing large amounts of hormones like estrogen, insulin and insulin-like growth factors. High estrogen levels have been associated with increased risks of breast, endometrial, ovarian, and some other cancers. Female postmenopausal breast cancer is the most common obesity-related cancer in Iowa and has increased by almost 30% since 1976. In contrast, premenopausal breast cancer has not been linked to obesity and has not increased substantially. There is no simple solution to the obesity epidemic; it is a complex problem that requires a multifaceted approach. There are many policy, systems, and environmental changes that can help prevent and reduce obesity. The recently revised Iowa Cancer Plan includes “Increase efforts that support healthy eating, physical activity and healthy weight status” as one of the 15 goals to prevent and control cancer in Iowa. You can read the complete ObesityRelated Cancer in Iowa report in the Cancer in Iowa 2018 publication at www.public-health.uiowa.edu/shri. The Iowa Cancer Plan by the Iowa Cancer Consortium is available at www.canceriowa.org.