Obesity is a Form of Cancer

While it's interesting, the difference between obesity and cancer lies in biochemistry. Cancerous cells can't be used by the body for fuel like bodyfat can be. The only way that obesity appears similar to cancer is through impairment of the body's metabolism [i.e. thyroid disorders].

Originally posted by soficrow
reply to post by troubleshooter

 

There was no obesity in Bergen-Belsen.

Studies show famines are followed by obesity epidemics in victims.

The causes are multifactorial - and starvation apparently leads to precancerous cell changes. Go figure.

I have proved this much ... processed fats will produce the conditions responsible for diabetes...
...carbohydrates (bread, cakes, buscuits, pasta, sugars) will make anyone obese...
...consiously removing carbs and replacing it with protein will result in weight loss.

Originally posted by soficrow
reply to post by troubleshooter

 

There was no obesity in Bergen-Belsen.

Studies show famines are followed by obesity epidemics in victims.

The causes are multifactorial - and starvation apparently leads to precancerous cell changes. Go figure.

I have proved this much ... processed fats will produce the conditions responsible for diabetes...
...carbohydrates (bread, cakes, buscuits, pasta, sugars) will make anyone obese...
...consiously removing carbs and replacing it with protein will result in weight loss.

reply to post by CosmicEgg


You're right - our world is poisoned, but you need to get off your soapbox and look at the big picture. Lots of people live active conscious lives, do NOT eat processed foods, take good care and still get sick and/or obese.

RE: "Defining cancer." Cancer has been redefined with regularity over the past few decades - primarily to disguise the fact that the Cancer Pandemic is growing - not just 1 in 2 American men and 1 in 3 American women get cancer, but a whole lot more. Both obesity and cancer are pandemic - and the victims are NOT to blame. Do they have some personal power? Absolutely. But there is a HUGE difference between claiming personal power and picking up the whole liability tab.

reply to post by imherejusttoread

While it's interesting, the difference between obesity and cancer lies in biochemistry. Cancerous cells can't be used by the body for fuel like bodyfat can be. The only way that obesity appears similar to cancer is through impairment of the body's metabolism [i.e. thyroid disorders].

Only fat cells (adipocytes) are used to store energy, so other cells never are used for fuel - cancerous or not. More to the point, fat (adipocytes and adipose tissue) is an endocrine organ - it produces hormones essential to body functions and also, produces substances essential to immune function.

Adipose tissue has a metabolic function and acts as an endocrine organ—that is, it produces hormones and secretes them into your bloodstream, through which they travel to affect the function of organs all over your body. In fact, fat tissue produces literally dozens of hormones, including leptin, which controls appetite, and adiponectin, which affects insulin sensitivity and blood sugar levels. Because adipose tissue is now known to be so biologically active, researchers think that it could well play an important role in cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and other diseases.

Fat cells are also important contributors to your immune system and its inflammatory response. Adipose tissue produces many substances, including free fatty acids and cytokines, proteins that affect cell signaling and behavior. Cytokines have an important role in regulating immune system functions. Scientists have identified dozens of different cytokines produced by fat cells, called adipokines. They include interleukins, tumor necrosis factor, and interferons, which trigger inflammation and respond to infections.

The main "symptom" of obesity is that the body's metabolism is buggered - the production of hormones, cytokines etc. is screwed up, and all hell breaks loose, biologically speaking. The screw-up occurs at the cellular level in fat cells (adipocytes).

For example:

Adipokines

The fat cells of obese people are giant, much larger than normal fat cells. They are also more active than normal fat cells and secrete a greater amount of metabolically active chemicals, including inflammatory adipokines. Inflammatory adipokines secreted by your visceral tissue include interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and resistin. Many investigators have suggested that one or more of the adipokines secreted by visceral fat cells create chronic systemic inflammation and lead to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and other disorders, including high blood pressure.

Adipokines, such as IL-1, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and resistin, are all delivered into the liver via the portal vein. It’s theorized that these inflammatory substances damage the functioning of the liver and set the stage for many metabolic disorders, such as insulin resistance. It’s known, for example, that the adipokine resistin is linked to insulin resistance—which is the reason it was named “resistin.”

On the surface at least, adipocytes' abnormal size and altered functions are consistent with Merck's cancer definition:

Merck Medical Manual: Overview of Cancer

A cancer is an abnormal growth of cells (usually derived from a single cell). The cells have lost normal control mechanisms and thus are able to expand continuously, invade adjacent tissues, migrate to distant parts of the body, and promote the growth of new blood vessels from which the cells derive nutrients. Cancerous (malignant) cells can develop from any tissue within the body.

RECAP:

The main "symptom" of obesity is that the body's metabolism is buggered - the production of hormones, cytokines etc. is screwed up, and all hell breaks loose, biologically speaking. The screw-up occurs at the cellular level in fat cells (adipocytes).

Fat cells (adipocytes) in obese people are abnormal. The cell changes in obesity affect cell function, altering hormone production and the body's immune responses. Such changes and subsequent effects on body function are consistent with cancer and what cancer does.

* The fat cells of obese people are giant, much larger than normal fat cells.

* A cancer is an abnormal growth of cells (usually derived from a single cell). The cells have lost normal control mechanisms…

* Adipose tissue (fat) has a metabolic function and acts as an endocrine organ

—that is, it produces hormones and secretes them into your bloodstream, through which they travel to affect the function of organs all over your body.

Fat cells are also important contributors to your immune system and its inflammatory response. …Scientists have identified dozens of different cytokines produced by fat cells, called adipokines. They include interleukins, tumor necrosis factor, and interferons, which trigger inflammation and respond to infections.

This is very good information you have share here. Thank you for Info.
www.jointreplacementsurgeryhospitalindia.com...

reply to post by soficrow


Obesity has nothing to do with cancer. Nothing.

Being fat has many reasons, and in some cases there are medical reasons for that state.

In most cases though, fat people are fat because they ate too much and moved too little.

Or let me ask you this way? Can you get rid of cancer with a diet?

I do not think so.

reply to post by Nightaudit


References please.

Also, please read above posts and references before attempting to address the OP. Thanks.

I saw a news report about a new drug called Amlexennox, it is set to be released next year. This drug, as the report states, is said to cure Diabetes and obesity. If it works as described it will be a major breakthrough. Just thought all would like to know.

Originally posted by thunder57
I saw a news report about a new drug called Amlexennox, it is set to be released next year. This drug, as the report states, is said to cure Diabetes and obesity. If it works as described it will be a major breakthrough. Just thought all would like to know.

edit on 18-2-2013 by thunder57 because: (no reason given)

edit on 18-2-2013 by thunder57 because: (no reason given)

edit on 18-2-2013 by thunder57 because: (no reason given)

Thanks for the info. True - inflammation provides a link between obesity and insulin resistance. But I'd rather see us go after whatever is causing the inflammation - not the downstream symptoms.

And btw - looks like amlexanox is just being pushed to clinical trials for obesity/diabetes.

Amlexanox (trade name Aphthasol) is an anti-inflammatory antiallergic immunomodulator used to treat recurrent aphthous ulcers (canker sores), and (in Japan) several inflammatory conditions.

...Positive results in a primary research study released February 2013 of its use in obese mice suggested that the drug may be a candidate for further testing in clinical trials in humans.[13]

13. Reilly, SM.; Chiang, SH.; Decker, SJ.; Chang, L.; Uhm, M.; Larsen, MJ.; Rubin, JR.; Mowers, J. et al. (Feb 2013). "An inhibitor of the protein kinases TBK1 and IKK-ɛ improves obesity-related metabolic dysfunctions in mice.". Nat Med. doi:10.1038/nm.3082. PMID 23396211.

All I saw was the report and what they implied, just reporting what they said. But hope comes in small packages sometimes.

So getting your stomach tied or restricting caloric intake or getting more active, genetically purges and cures the body of *mutated* fat cells?

Are you saying obesity is mutated fat cells? Then likewise water retention (as opposed to adipose retention/storage) would be a cancer too.. of water

reply to post by thunder57


Meant to star your previous post - just did that. .....My rant is that we keep throwing drugs at things with environmental causes (wrong), when we should be removing the cause. Worse yet, the drug "treatments" alter our cellular environments even more and thus, create more new diseases (also wrong).

Hi the soficrow,

No. Sorry, does not compute. You acquire fat cells for three different reasons.

1. you're in the first two years of life and eat too much

2. you're an adult and consume so much that you fill all your current fat cells to the rim

3. you're pregnant


Obesity has nothing to do with cancer, and everything to do with metabolic and hormonal imbalances.

reply to post by nomnom


As outlined in the OP, it's not so much about how many fat cells there are, it's about how big each fat cell grows and develops its own blood supply.

1. Fat cells grow out of control in obesity: a) individual cells grow larger and don't die (hypertrophy); and b) fat cells proliferate (hyperplasia);

2. Individual fat cells that grow out-of-control-larger develop tiny blood vessels that feed the cell (angiogenesis).

...ALL of these characteristics are standard to cancer. No wonder obesity is "associated with cancer" - it IS a form of cancer. Duh.

Originally posted by soficrow
reply to post by nomnom

 

As outlined in the OP, it's not about how many fat cells there are, it's about how big each fat cell grows and develops its own blood supply.

1. Fat cells grow out of control in obesity: a) individual cells grow larger and don't die (hypertrophy); and b) fat cells proliferate (hyperplasia);

The fat cells growth are in direct proportion to the caloric intake of the individual who is "out of control".

a) all fat cells, regardless of the individuals BMI, will grow if they have a caloric surplus. As far as we know, fat cells never die.

b) the fat cells divide ONLY once the current cells have reached their maximum capacity.

2. Individual fat cells that grow out-of-control-larger develop tiny blood vessels that feed the cell (angiogenesis).

Duh! Any new growth is going to need nutrient supplies. They will create new capillaries to sustain this new growth. No different than any other, non-cancerous form of tissue growth.

...ALL of these characteristics are standard to cancer. No wonder obesity is "associated with cancer" - it IS a form of cancer. Duh.

Incorrect. They are signs of eating too many calories, and having metabolic and/or hormonal issues.

You know how I know it's not cancer? Easy. Put someone, regardless of weight, on a diet. Their fat cells will shrink! They will not continue to gain fat cells.

Debunked.

To add, saying "obesity is a cancer" purposely confuses the it with cancer of adipose tissue.

Shame! For just like the skin tissue well known as a major organ, likewise adipose tissue is well known for functioning as an endocrine organ that produces highly influential and incremental hormones and cytokines including leptin and adiponectin.

If you look at all other apes, its clear humans are the ones given sentience and reason on such things as what to wear to protect their relatively hairless bodies, and likewise what to eat in order to not GREEDILY store up useless millions of extra calories which affect the body negatively via accumulation of excess hormones, cytokines.

If you look at ecosystems (ie, the bald eagle history) its clear toxins tend to accumulate in the fat tissue, so why accumulate a plethora of it when virtually all other land beings on earth stay healthy by having virtually none?

Obesity may very well cause cancer because of its very sloppy, indulgent, accumulative nature in and of itself, but to say it is one itself is throwing the whole medical mechanism of obesity triggering excess secretion of adipocytokines from all that unneccessary, actively acquired adipose tissue.

For example, mammary adipose tissue level is proposed to play a vital role in breast tumor and cancer risk. However to suggest having sizeable or large breasts is a tumor or cancer in itself, is blatantly absurd.

reply to post by nomnom

Debunked.

Debunked? You spew unsubstantiated bias and obsolete dogma without a shred of evidence or any single reference.

Debunked my Aunt Fannie's big fat butt.

reply to post by tropic

adipose tissue is well known for functioning as an endocrine organ

Correct. And which came first, the chicken or the egg?