to point out it is more likely for cancer to cause obesity than for obesity to cause cancer

[Nimbostratus100]

Cos I am so sick of smug ignoramuses being so superior and judgemental.

I was not overweight until I had cancer. I had a MBI of 22 until I had to start taking massive continuous doses of steroids alongside chemotherapy.

Obesity is a medical problem, Obesity does cause health problems. Obesity is a contributing factor to some cancers. The WHO estimates obesity is a contributary factor in around 3-4% of cancers. That all. And there is no way of knowing which individual cancers, that is a population level estimate. And it is a contributary factor, not a cause.

So can we ditch this attitude of "o well, you did this to yourself" every time people come across a fat person with cancer.

Thank you

I had cancer testing when a random swelling happened on my neck . They did exhaustive tests and I was all clear . I specifically asked if my weight would mean me more likely to get a cancer diagnosis and the consultant said it is obviously better to be a healthy weight for avoiding diabetes etc but no you are no more at risk of cancer than a thin person , most people I see with a cancer diagnosis are normal weight.

This. Very sorry for your diagnosis. I’m not sure how your post is that relevant. Being a healthy weight and active is proven to help prevent cancer. Putting on weight during cancer is entirely different

I would add that everyone I've known have cancer has been slim although thankfully I've not known many cancer patients

That is your individual circumstance, but it doesn't undo the medical fact that obesity is a leading contributing factor to cancer.

Wishing you all the best for a swift recovery 💐

Staying fit and healthy into old age is not just about luck of the draw, lifestyle factors come into it as well

But you can lead a healthy lifestyle and just get unlucky

And this doesn't get acknowledged enough.

It's too easy for people to smugly think that they are safely protected and to that people who are ill have somehow brought it in themselves

I was just under 8 stone and training for a marathon when I got diagnosed with cancer.

I put on just over a stone during treatment. Steroids, lack of running and chemo made me only fancy eating beige food.

Treatment ended and within 4 weeks I was back to my normal weight thankfully. I think a lot was steroid based.

I commented on the other thread. People with cancer and other illnesses/disabilities, are not responsible for their weight gain - it's a by product of what is going on in their life.

However I'd guess the majority of the British public don't have these issues.

Sweetsakura, surely that's stating the obvious, of course its not all about lifestyle but given the odds, we may as well do what we can

Statistically what your consultant said was incorrect, unless he/she was referring to a specific type of cancer that isn’t in any way connected to weight.

Oh I don't disagree.
I think the point is not that we shouldn't try and be healthy, but that we shouldn't blame or judge those who become ill.

Everyone knows that people can be overweight for a variety of reasons - steroids, other drugs, physical disabilities, endocrine disorders, disordered eating due to mental health problems etc, so of course clinicians should bear this in mind when discussing weight issues.

But I’m pretty sure that the vast majority of people who are overweight basically eat too much ie more than they’re burning off.

The perception of obesity is not helped by the fact that many overweight people delude themselves about why they’re the weight they are. I’ve been a yo-yo dieter for 40 years, so I know that if I eat too much I gain weight, and if I stick to a diet I lose weight. I can tell myself I’m sticking to a diet, but if I’m sneaking calories here and there, then I won’t lose weight. As a GP I’ve seen hundreds of overweight people in my career, and only a tiny minority will actually say “yeah I eat too much”. All the others will blame time, exercise opportunities etc, or will simply say they genuinely only eat 500 calories per day, when they clearly don’t.

Interestingly as a newly large person I have found other larger people opening up to me and it is amazing how many do have stories of being fit and healthy before cancer or other illnesses (and resultant medication) caused them to gain weight and /or be unable to exercise.

Although equally even those who are obese purely due to lifestyle I don't think deserve judgement. It's just the flipside of anorexia surely and yet people with anorexia don't face the same level of judgement

I didn't say it caused obesity for everyone and I didn't say it causes obesity at every stage

But the treatments for cancer do cause massive weight gain for many people

If you are a woman, and bald, basically everyone who comes across you, knows you have cancer

Sorry to be pedantic but the treatment causing obesity isn't the same as cancer causing obesity.

You're missing the point and you know you are

@KittyAlfred

No it was a general discussion about cancer not a specific cancer .
The risk factors I was asked on my first appoint.
Did I have a family history of cancer
Did I smoke
How much alcohol did I drink
Have I ever been exposed to asbestos.
Nothing about weight .

I don't doubt that obesity can be a contributing factor for developing cancer but it doesn't seem to apply to most of the people I see on the chemo ward. m currently receiving cancer treatment and I am 34 with a BMI of 21. Absolutely no lifestyle factors for my cancer whatsoever. It's just bad luck. Sometimes healthy people say really ignorant things to me. I think they're trying to reassure themselves that it wouldn't happen to them so it must be something I've done. I've also become extremely unfit due to the treatment being horrific and meaning that I can't move very well. The idea that I can exercise during this treatment is laughable - i can barely walk most of the time. I keep searching for some kind of NHS scheme I can be referred to to get back to normal fitness levels afterwards but can't find anything.

I haven't gained weight during treatment but I am going to experience early menopause, so I'm expecting to gain weight. I'm dreading dealing with people's reactions to that, to be honest. My own dad made a rude comment about an overweight person in a mobility scooter the other day - along the lines of them needing the scooter because they're fat. I pointed out that it's quite likely they became overweight because of their mobility issues. He did seem to take it on board though.

Stugs is not m8ssing the point

Am I? I don't think so?

can we ditch this attitude of "o well, you did this to yourself" every time people come across a fat person with cancer.

How many people have said that to you, OP ? About your body size and your cancer.

I'm pausing to think of people I know who had cancer in last 10 years...

plump aunt, heavy smoker (I blame the fags)
my 80yo dad, pudgy, (tiniest possible melanoma), I blame his age, redhead living in sunny place
80yo neighbour, trim (I blame his age)
50yo colleague, trim (she'd blame bad luck)
50yo friend, trim (he had a genetic condition that caused it)
DH elderly aunt, age 80+, trim (could blame her age, high salt diet?)
84yo uncle, trim ( I blame his age)
34yo friend, trim (she blamed chemicals she worked with)
~53yo local woman, trim, dunno what she would blame
2 x 40yo friends, veering towards pudgy (dunno what they would blame)

Only one of them was actually fat, and I'd blame her ciggies really

Dangerous idea to be promoting OP.
And factually totally incorrect.

o rubbish

I am pointing out to you that any fat people with cancer you meat are more likely to be fat because they have cancer, rather than have cancer because they are fat.

nothing remotely misleading or dangerous

absolutely nowhere have I said being fat or having cancer is a good healthy thing to aspire to!

I am just pointing out that the amount of judgement poured onto our heads is a load of smug ignorant people who like to think of themselves as superior

Tbh I've got other things to think about rather than seeking out fat people with cancer and then judging them.

I am pointing out to you that any fat people with cancer you meat are more likely to be fat because they have cancer, rather than have cancer because they are fat.

Disagree with the first part, most people with cancer who are fat are more likely to have been overweight prior to diagnosis statistically; but this doesn't mean they have cancer because of this. What you're saying is sort of true and untrue at the same time- just because someone is fat is doesn't mean this contributed to their cancer and no of course people shouldn't judge, but it's not the case that everyone is slim beforehand and only becomes overweight following treatment.

Surely the message is that whilst weight can in some cases heighten the risk (although we shouldn't judge still of course and it's often more complex than that and only a small % of cases), we should face the reality that it can be a factor and support people in general to aim for a healthy weight.