We are indebted to the American Institute for Cancer Research for their report on the influence on the Covid pandemic’s influence on Cancer increase.
COVID-19 has been a big part of conversations about health and health care throughout 2021. And unfortunately, sometimes a focus on steps that are promoted as offering protection against this very real health threat can obscure your view of the bigger picture of steps to protect your overall
health.
- Obesity flies under the radar as a source of increased risk of several of the most common types of cancer. AICR’s November 2021 Research Conference included presentations noting the increasing risk of some cancers in young adults. And the rising rates of obesity across all age groups now present a double-whammy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that adults—including young adults—with obesity face an increased risk of severe illness with COVID-19.
- Weight gain was common during COVID-19 as people experienced changes in what, where, when and why they ate, and when, where and how they could work in physical activity. Research continues to show that each 10-pound weight gain adds some increase in risk of post-menopausal breast cancer, for example. For many people, it really is time for an eating habit re-set.
- Alcohol, likewise, has long been a cancer risk of concern. And for some people, consumption increased during COVID-19. A study published this year estimates that alcohol was a cause of nearly 750,000 cancers in 2020. In this review, AICR explains that there’s a time lag between alcohol consumption and cancer development, making it smart to take steps now to turn around drinking habits that have gone off-track
Further Reading
AICR – AICR Research Conference: Lifestyle choices and Cancer
AICR – The Pandemic Weight Gain and Cancer: Is it Time for an
Eating Habit Reset?
