This archive report was first published on 10 July 2019.
According to a study published on July 10, 2019, obesity is a leading cause of cancer risk in the UK, surpassing smoking in some cases.
The study, conducted by Cancer Research UK, found that obesity is responsible for 1,400 more cases of kidney cancer, 460 more cases of ovarian cancer, and 180 more cases of liver cancer compared to smoking.
Chief Officer Michelle Mitchelle of Cancer Research UK stated, "Our children could be a smoke-free generation, but we've hit a devastating record high for childhood obesity, and now we need urgent Government intervention to end the epidemic. They still have a chance to save lives."
Dr. Rosslyn Ngugi, a lecturer at Mt Kenya University and specialist in internal medicine, added, "Apart from smoking, obesity is the number one preventable cause of death. At least 300,000 people die annually from obesity."
The study also found that obesity is behind 22,800 cases of cancer every year, with 4,800 cases of bowel cancer, 2,900 cases of kidney cancer, and 1,300 cases of liver cancer attributed to obesity.
