The less you weigh, the less risk of cancer and bariatric surgery may just play a starring role in that theory, according to a new study conducted by a team of Brazilian researchers at the Hospital Sao Lucas in Porto Alegre.
"Bariatric surgery is associated with reduced cancer risk in morbidly obese people. However, considering the heterogeneity among the studies, conclusions should be drawn with care," states the research report that evaluated incidence of cancer in patients following bariatric surgery based on results of 13 related studies.
The news comes on the heels of research revealing that one out of every four U.S. residents with diabetes doesn't even realize they have the disease. The population now boasts nearly 10 percent of diabetics, states a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.
The research report, published in Obesity Surgery, comes as the U.S. population is grappling with obesity, though research and health reports are at odds at whether obesity in on the rise or leveling off in the past few years. Many reports this year note a growing concern about obesity in children.
Weight loss is cited as a prime factor in eliminating the potential for type 2 diabetes that is often ignited by obesity. According to one news report, the definition of a morbidly obese person is roughly 100 pounds overweight, with a body-mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher.
The theory that bariatric surgery can stave off diabetes as well as cancer is being met with a conservative response from a leading cancer organization.
"I would say overall the evidence appears [to show] there is a reduction in risk," Lauren Teras, director of hematologic cancer research at the American Cancer Society, told Health Day. "It's just hard to say for certain."
One of three cancer deaths in the U.S. is tied to weight, inactivity and a poor diet, according to the American Cancer Society.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease in the United States, affecting approximately 15 million people. Nearly 80 million people are believed to be prone to the disease. As Tech Times recently reported, type 2 diabetes may be linked to brain damage and may lead to rapid loss of brain matter in senior citizens.
A study released in the May 7 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), revealed the number of children and young adults with type 1 diabetes has increased by 21.1 percent from 2001 and 2009.
