Weight management
When you remain a normal weight or try to do so, you can reduce the risk of many illnesses. The main measures for weight monitoring is the Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference.
According to research, weight management, healthy nutrition and sufficient exercise can help prevent at least a third of the most common cancers.
The majority of Finns are overweight, even though the prevalence of overweight is decreasing. Our weight tells us when we are getting more energy from food and drink than we use. This nowadays goes unnoticed, as we spend a large part of each day sitting at work, at home and in vehicles. So there is not enough movement in relation to the amount of energy from we get from food and drink.
What cancer does being overweight cause?
Overweight and excess fat around the waist increase the risk of illness
- breast cancer (postmenopausal)
- cancer of the colon and rectum
- cervical cancer
- pancreatic cancer
- oesophageal cancer
- kidney cancer
Overweight and obesity possibly also increase the risk of gall bladder cancer, liver cancer, ovarian cancer, and aggressive prostate cancer.
“We spend a large part of each day sitting at work, at home and in vehicles.”
As the BMI increases the risk of cancer risk increases according to the type of cancer type. When BMI exceeds the obesity limit (BMI> 30), the risk of cancer increases significantly, by about one-fifth compared to the normal weight (BMI <25). Severe obesity (BMI> 40) is associated with a more than 1.5 times higher risk of developing cancer.
The link between cancer and obesity is complex. However, we can say that the more people have fat in their body, especially around the waist, the greater their risk of having certain cancers.