Every January, millions of us pledge to eat better, exercise more and take control of our health. Too often, those resolutions fade by February. But what if we treated them not as fleeting goals but as a powerful cancer prevention strategy?
For decades, cigarette smoking was the leading preventable cause of cancer. Public health campaigns helped millions quit, which is a major victory. Today, another risk is rising: obesity. Extra body weight and too little activity are now among the top drivers of cancer.
Obesity and cancer: a new kind of warning
Obesity raises the chance of at least 13 cancers, including cancers of the colon, breast, uterus, kidney, and liver. Adults with obesity are more likely to get these cancers than adults at a healthy weight. In simple terms, we’ve traded one big cancer risk, smoking, for another, obesity.
Fat tissue is not just padding. When a person has too much fat, especially deep inside the belly, that fat can become sick and send out harmful signals. These signals can make it harder for insulin to work, raise blood sugar and change hormones in ways that help cells grow and multiply. That gives cancer cells more chances to start.
Utah is not immune
Utah has long been seen as a healthy and active state, but the numbers tell a different story. Nearly two out of three adults in Utah are overweight or have obesity. In some rural areas, obesity is more common, and adults living in rural U.S. counties have higher mortality from several obesity-associated cancers than those urban areas. Our rural neighbors may face long drives to clinics, sometimes limited access to fresh food and fewer health specialists. These barriers make it harder for families to get nutrition advice, obesity treatment and cancer screenings, even when they want to make changes.
What Utah can do next
Obesity-related cancer is not just a problem for big hospitals in Salt Lake City. It is a community problem across the state. To keep cancer rates low in Utah, we need to support healthy choices where people live and remove barriers to care.
Clinics, especially in smaller towns, need resources for nutrition counseling, access to specialists in obesity medicine and cancer screening close to home. Towns need safe places to walk and play and better access to fresh, affordable food.
We have the technology and know-how to make this a reality. Telehealth can help people see experts in obesity, nutrition and cancer prevention without long and expensive drives. Our uniquely strong community support in Utah opens opportunities to grow initiatives like farmer’s markets and co-ops, mobile markets and food pharmacies, and shared transportation initiatives. We also must reduce shame so people at higher weights feel safe seeking care. When we treat obesity as a health issue instead of a personal failure, more people can get testing and treatment that may prevent cancer and save their lives.
Your resolution matters
Obesity is nothing to be ashamed of and there are many reasons people have obesity. It is a medical condition that can be treated through lifestyle changes, medicine or surgery. Nonjudgemental support from family and friends is crucial. This year, resolve to take steps that protect your health and lower cancer risk:
- Move more: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week.
- Eat smart: Fill your plate with fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Limit processed foods.
- Schedule cancer screenings: Early detection saves lives.
- Seek support: If weight loss feels overwhelming, talk to your doctor about resources, including telehealth options.
A community effort
Work to understand why obesity is a key factor driving many cancers is already underway in Utah. The Utah Obesity Treatment Cohort, led by obesity specialist Dr. Anna Ibele, follows patients who receive weight loss surgery or medical weight loss care and tracks how their body weight and cancer-related blood tests change over time. This can guide better decisions about which treatments help lower cancer risk.
These efforts are also part of a project through the National Cancer Institute called the Metabolic Dysregulation and Cancer Risk Consortium, or MeDOC. This group brings together teams across the country to study how obesity and metabolism affect cancer, and how we can prevent it. As our discoveries mount, this federal support for cancer research remains critical to addressing the problem of obesity related cancers.
Cancer prevention today means facing health issues that quietly set the stage for disease. For many Utahns, obesity is a strong but changeable driver of future cancer. This New Year, let’s make resolutions that stick, not just for vanity but for vitality. Your health, and your life, may depend on it.