Overweight or obesity is not meant to be overlooked as carrying these extra weight puts you at risk for developing many life-threatening diseases, especially cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Millions of people across the countries have come under the grip of this dreaded disease and lost their lives due to some ailments associated with it.

Our outer appearance reflects our inner well-being. A man of good physique possesses a healthy body whereas an obese person's body is normally afflicted with innumerable hidden diseases. The term Obesity is normally used for a person who has a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. It's a dreaded ailment which has taken the shape of a global epidemic but unfortunately till now it has not attracted the attention it desires from healthcare professionals.

Research findings suggest that cancers of the colon, breast (postmenopausal), endometrium (the lining of the uterus), kidney, and esophagus are associated with obesity. Some studies have also reported links between obesity and cancers of the gall bladder, ovaries, and pancreas. In the year 2002, about 41,000 new cases of cancer in the United States were estimated to be due to obesity. This means that about 3.2 percent of all new cancers were linked to obesity. A recent report suggests that 14 percent of deaths from cancer in men and 20 percent of deaths in women in the U.S. were a result of obesity.

The biological mechanism that explains how obesity increases cancer risk may be different for different cancers. The exact mechanisms are not known for any of the cancers; however, possible mechanisms include alterations in sex hormones (e.g., estrogen, progesterone, and androgens), and insulin and IGF-1 in obese people that may account for their increased risk for cancers of the breast, endometrium, and colon. Sex-hormone binding globulin, the major carrier protein for certain sex hormones in the plasma, may also be involved in the altered risk for these cancers in obese people.

Obesity and physical inactivity may account for 25 to 30 percent of several major cancers-colon, breast (postmenopausal), kidney, and cancer of the esophagus. Preventing weight gain can reduce the risk of the occurrence of these cancers in your life. A combination of healthy eating and physical activity early in life can be of immense help in preventing obesity. Those who are already overweight or obese are advised to avoid additional weight gain, and to lose weight through a low-calorie diet and exercise. It can keep you away from the evil clasp of obesity and cancer.