Clearly, more work needs to be done to effectively curb the use of these products in young populations. The FDA has implemented several restrictions on e-cigarettes in the past year (see Leveraging Policy to Reduce Tobaccorelated Illness, p. 159). It is imperative that all stakeholders continue to work together and implement policies that reduce e-cigarette use among youth and young adults. Maintain a Healthy Weight, Eat a Healthy Diet, and Stay Active Nearly 20 percent of new cancer cases and 16 percent of cancer deaths in U.S. adults are attributable to a combination of excess body weight, poor diet, physical inactivity, and alcohol consumption (147). Being overweight or obese as an adult increases a person’s risk for 15 types of cancer; being physically active reduces risk for nine types of cancer (see Figure 9, p. 42). Increased body mass index (BMI), which is a measure of body thickness based on height and weight, is often associated with an individual’s likelihood of developing certain cancers (148-150). In addition, specific types of fat, such as abdominal obesity or a higher waist-to-hip ratio, may be a stronger risk factor (151,152). Being overweight or obese leads to longlasting inflammation, abnormal levels of insulin, and higher than normal levels of sex hormones, all of which increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer (149). Among U.S. adults, the rate of obesity from 2017 to 2020 was 41.9 percent (153). This is a 37 percent increase from the year 2000, when the rate was 30.5 percent (153). During this same time, severe obesity among U.S. adults nearly doubled, with an increase from 4.7 percent to 9.2 percent (153). As with smoking, adults who are obese have a high risk of many chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cancer (1). Of increasing concern is the rise in obesity among children and teens (2 to 19 years of age), increasing 300 percent in the past five decades, from five percent in the 1970s to approximately 19.7 percent during the period from 2017 to 2020 (154). Recent data show that being overweight or obese during childhood increases the likelihood of developing cancer as adults (155). One emerging area of concern among public health experts is the recent rise in early-onset colorectal cancer that has been partially attributed to the rise in obesity (see The Growing Population Burden of Cancer, p. 20) (164). In a meta-analysis, which examined 30 studies on early-onset colorectal cancer risk factors, being overweight or obese increased the likelihood of developing early-onset colorectal cancer by 1.2 and 1.5 times, respectively, compared to maintaining a healthy weight (165). Understanding how modifiable risk factors like obesity, unhealthy diet, and lack of exercise are contributing to the rise in early-onset colorectal cancer is vital for establishing effective prevention efforts. Weight loss interventions have proven to be effective in reducing or eliminating the risk of cancers associated with obesity. As one example, bariatric surgery, a term used to describe a collection of procedures that are done to help people who are obese lose Percentage of U.S. Adults Who Smoked Cigarettes in 2021 Adapted from (128). SIDEBAR 10 Asian Hispanic Black White 5.4% 7.7% 11.7% 12.9% BY RACE Heterosexual Sexual and gender minorities Urban Rural 15.3% 11.4% 10.5% 18.0% 0 5 10 20 15 BY SEXUAL ORIENTATION BY RESIDENCE In a study of over 69,000 women, researchers found that surgical weight loss interventions reduced the risk of developing breast cancer (169). Reducing the Risk of Cancer Development AACR Cancer Progress Report 2023 41
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTkzMzk=