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Naveed Sattar |
Once smoking was the killer health problem in Scotland. Now comes the news from Cancer Research that about 29% of adults in Scotland are obese while 18% of the population continues to smoke. In the early 1980s, the numbers were very different, about 6% and 40% respectively.
This means that in the space of just four decades, the country has grown from one obese over 16 to about one in three. These changes have resulted in profound changes in disease patterns: Rates of heart disease have declined in part due to reduced smoking, but the prevalence of other diseases, such as diabetes, has increased dramatically over the past decade. of the last four decades.
According to the 2017 health survey conducted in Scotland by the charity, being overweight causes 190 more cases of intestinal cancer than smoking in Scotland each year.
Overweight or obesity increases the risks of many conditions, including chronic lung disease, liver disease, hypertension, skin problems, joint problems, sleep apnea (interruption breathing), pregnancy complications and mental health problems. Even more disturbing is the link between excess body fat and many cancers, which has prompted a new cancer research campaign to focus on this problem.
According to the 2017 health survey conducted in Scotland by the charity, being overweight causes 190 more cases of intestinal cancer than smoking in Scotland each year. The same goes for kidney cancer (about 130 more cases due to being overweight than smoking), ovaries (about 40) and liver (about 25).
Read more: Increased life expectancy in Europe undermined by obesity: WHO
Body fat and cancer
Overall, smoking remains the leading cause of cancer, but the contribution of excess body fat continues to increase and will become in the future the major determinant of cancer in many high-income countries , like the United Kingdom.
What is also worrying is that even though we have better control of heart disease and stroke, we know too much about the molecular links between obesity and multiple cancers for even starting to develop drugs. smart to interrupt this process. . For now, the only way to reduce the risk of cancer – and many other diseases related to obesity – is to help people lose weight sustainably.
The same goes for kidney cancer (about 130 more cases due to being overweight than smoking), ovaries (about 40) and liver (about 25).
Of course, many of the facts mentioned above are well documented and will not be surprising. The rising cost of treating diseases linked to obesity by the NHS is not expected to exceed £ 10 billion by 2050. So the million dollar question: what is the main cause of this? epidemic of obesity?
Are we on average less active than before? Maybe, but not enough to account for the increase in average weight of adults. Boris Johnson's recent claim that physical activity will be the best way to fight the epidemic has little evidence to support it.
Read more: Worldwide, obesity is increasing faster in rural areas
Are people more greedy than they were in the 1970s? Many experts would say no and I agree. Our biology and genes have not changed in the last 40 years and few, if any, obese people want it. Being heavy is a mental and physical challenge that affects self-esteem and the ability to be active. That said, people consume many more calories than in the 1970s, although food surveys often indicate the opposite.
We know it because heavier people burn more calories. Therefore, to maintain the same weight, they must absorb more – this is the fundamental physics. And that brings us to the main question: why? The answer is that we are all more exposed to an abundance of much cheaper foods, high in calories, high in fat, refined sugars and salt – all that pushes the palate to want more. And many of us can not resist.
On the rise
There is good news here. We know how to help people lose weight in a sustainable way by making it clear that diets work as long as people respect them. Commercial weight loss programs also help many people, as well as small, sustainable changes in the diet – for example, consuming fewer sugary and alcoholic beverages and confectionery for the benefit of water, diet drinks and more fruits and vegetables.
The only way to reduce the risk of cancer – and many other diseases related to obesity – is to help people lose weight sustainably.
Slowly but surely, the medical profession also understands that obese people need support and not a shame. Obese people should be encouraged to try different dietary changes and to receive more guidance and encouragement. It's not enough to tell people that they need to lose weight. Most already know this, but do not know how to do it in a sustainable way. We must therefore give more information.
There are also new weight loss drugs on the horizon that could help people lose about 10% of their body weight or more, but of course they are not without significant costs. Finally, the sugar tax suggests that the governments of the United Kingdom and several other countries finally recognize the need to change the environment of food and beverages. But alone, it will have a minimal effect.
Read more: Can we fight obesity with just one cup of coffee?
The real question is whether the government is prepared to go further and impose on the food industry regulations that really bite: making unhealthy foods more expensive and ensuring that healthier options are good to taste and have a good price-quality ratio. This is so that we can have a significant impact on the levels of obesity in the population and improve health and well-being throughout the country.
The Scottish Government has been among the first to impose the ban on smoking, and nothing prevents it from leading the fight against obesity. It's not rocket science, but it's extremely difficult, politically and economically.
Courtesy: the conversation
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