Weight loss drugs have come to everyone’s attention in the last few years and the news that the NHS is to make Mounjaro available to those who need it, must be welcome to those who live with obesity and are awaiting treatment.
It is to be offered to those with a body mass index over 35 and have at least one other obesity related health problem. This is thought to affect 3.4 million people.
However, the NHS has been clear in stating the roll out of the drug will be over a 12-year period, to ensure that health services are not overwhelmed with demand. The cost of the drug to the NHS is stated to be £122 per patient per month for the maximum dose and this is judged to be cost effective when set against the cost of treating illnesses and disease associated with obesity.
One of these is cancer. According to Cancer Research UK, overweight and obesity is the second biggest cause of cancer in the UK. This means the risk of cancer increases with the more overweight someone is and the longer they have been overweight.
I wondered why this was the case and how, if weight is lost, this risk decreases.
Why Obesity Increases Cancer Risk
According to Cancer Research UK, obesity contributes to cancer risk in several ways, explained, very simply, below.
- Chronic Inflammation: fat cells attract immune cells and this can lead to inflammation, which causes the cells to divide more quickly, raising the risk of development of cancer cells.
- Growth Changes: fat can cause increase levels of growth hormones which trigger cell division, again triggering the risk of cancer.
- Sex hormones: fat cells can produce oestrogen after the menopause and this can again increase the risk of cell division in the breast and womb, meaning an increase in the risk of cancer.
- Altered Immune Function: Obesity can impair the immune system, reducing its ability to detect and destroy cancer cells.
Increased Risk of Cancer Due to Obesity
Obesity is linked to an increased risk for several cancers. The exact increase in cancer risk varies by cancer type, but on average, obese individuals (those with a body mass index or BMI of 30 or higher) are at an increased risk of developing the following:
- Breast and bowel. These are 2 of the most common cancers.
- Pancreatic, oesophageal and gallbladder, which are particularly hard to treat.
- Womb and ovarian.
- Kidney, liver and upper stomach.
This doesn’t mean that everybody who is overweight will develop cancer. But the risk is higher for people who are overweight or obese.
Impact of Weight Loss on Cancer Risk
This all sounds very depressing. However, the good news is that losing weight can help reduce the risk of cancer. While it might not eliminate the risk entirely, weight loss has been shown to have a significant impact in decreasing cancer risk and this explains why the NHS is looking to reduce the chance of these cancers developing. The degree to which cancer risk decreases after weight loss can vary. Studies suggest that losing even a modest amount of weight (5–10% of body weight) can reduce the risk of some obesity-related cancers, particularly colorectal (bowel), breast and endometrial (womb) cancers.
Obviously, long-term weight management is key, as even a significant weight loss may need to be maintained to keep the reduced cancer risk.
Conclusion
As we know, obesity can have a serious impact on health, and I have only focused on cancer in this article. It can also increase the risk of other serious illnesses such as cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke), diabetes and osteoarthritis.
While the increase in cancer risk can be significant, losing weight can substantially reduce the risk of several obesity-related cancers. However, in order to see the benefit, it is crucial that the weight loss is maintained.
The information provided in this article is provided for general information purposes only, and does not provide definitive advice. It does not amount to legal or other professional advice and so you should not rely on any information contained here as if it were such advice.
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The information published across our Knowledge Base is correct at the time of going to press.
