Weight & Cancer Risk: How Weight Loss Can Help
- Singer and rapper Jelly Rolle, who lost weight through lifestyle change, and actress Kathy Bates, who is among the approximate 15.5 million people across the U.S. who have used or are currently using injectable weight loss drugs, have both reduced their cancer risk as they’ve shed some excess pounds.
- Their weight loss success comes as more and more people across the country are losing weight, and a recent study published in JAMA Health Forum found that Body Mass Index and obesity prevalence in the U.S. has “decreased in 2023 for the first time in more than a decade.”
- If you’re considering taking a weight loss drug, talk with your care team about whether that’s a good option for you. And make sure you consider good diet and exercise practices as a part of your treatment plan.
- Being overweight or obese is clearly linked to an overall increased risk of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. One of our experts say “losing weight is a great way to reduce one’s risk” for cancers.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, “Being overweight or having obesity are linked with a higher risk of getting 13 types of cancer.” Some of these cancers include breast, colon, ovarian, and stomach (gastric).
- The National Cancer Institute (NCI) says fat tissue “produces excess amounts of estrogen,” which is associated with an increased risk of certain cancers, including breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancer. Obesity is associated with high levels of insulin, which can lead to colon, kidney, prostate, and endometrial cancer.
Celebs who have chosen to take Ozempic, like Bates, are among the approximate 15.5 million people [6 percent of adults] across the U.S. who have used or are currently using injectable weight loss drugs, as per a Gallup Poll from earlier this year. And 64 percent of those adults have claimed the anti-obesity drugs to be extremely effective.
Read MoreThe amount of people losing weight across the country is truly a revolutionary feat as back in December, CDC population data revealed one in three adults [35 percent] in 23 states were considered obese in 2023, a shocking increased from 2013, when no state had such a widespread presence of obesity at or higher than than what those 23 states were at.
What’s impressive is that a new study, published this month in JAMA Health Forum, suggest that Body Mass Index and obesity prevalence in across the country “decreased in 2023 for the first time in more than a decade.”
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The percentage dropped from 46 percent in 2022 to 45.6 percent in 2023. The study authors explained, “The most notable decrease was in the South, which had the highest observed per capita GLP-1RA dispensing rate. However, dispensing does not necessarily mean uptake, and the South also experienced disproportionately high COVID-19 mortality among individuals with obesity.”
It also seem a lot more people will start taking a drug called tirzepatide, sold under brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound for sleep apnea, as the the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has just approved Zepbound to treat moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in obese adults.
The FDA approval “marks the first drug treatment option for certain patients with obstructive sleep apnea,” said Dr. Sally Seymour, director of the Division of Pulmonology, Allergy, and Critical Care in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
Blockbuster Weight Loss Drugs – A Weight Loss Revolution
There’s a variety of drugs available right now for weight loss, like injections Ozempic (semaglutide), Wegovy, (semaglutide), and Zepbound (tirzepatide) injections, that are booming like nothing else.
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, meaning that it mimics the effects of GLP-1 in the body. Given as weekly subcutaneous injections It is normally prescribed to manage blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. It also leads to a significant amount of weight loss in these patients.
Various drugs used for weight loss exist, including Nova Nordisk’s semaglutide—sold under brand names Ozempic, Weygovy, and Rybelsu—and Tirzepatide, sold under the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound. Others include Phentermine (Adipex-P, Lomaira), a prescription medication which lessens one’s appetite, Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion), and bupropion (the generic form of Wellbutrin).
And while it’s widely understood that eating heathy and getting enough exercise has been linked to better living and a reduction in various health risks, it appears these weight loss drugs available to the public are offering the same type of benefits for people across the U.S.
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Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide, the highly popular new drug known under the brand names Wegovy, Ozempic, and Rybelsu, has been shown to offer long-term weight loss effects for patients taking the injection, which is an FDA-approved prescription medication for adults with type 2 diabetes.
The drug, which is administered as a weekly injection, assists the body by helping the pancreas make more insulin, ultimately lowering blood sugar levels. Although the medication has not been FDA-approved for weight loss, the drug has been prescribed by some doctors.
Another weight loss drug on the market is also weekly injection, called tirzepatide, sold under brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound. Mountjaro was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May 2022 to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes, as an addition to diet and exercise.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, Mounjaro works by increasing insulin levels in your body, which decreases your blood sugar (glucose). While you take this medication, you’ll undergo monitoring in the form of a simple blood test called the HbA1C (A1C) every 3 to 6 months. This test will measure your blood sugar control over the last 2 to 3 months.
Zepbound was later approved by the FDA in November 2023 for chronic weight loss management for adults with obesity. At the time of the approval, John Sharretts, M.D.,a director in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement, “Obesity and overweight are serious conditions that can be associated with some of the leading causes of death such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. In light of increasing rates of both obesity and overweight in the United States, today’s approval addresses an unmet medical need.”
Meanwhile, prescription appetite suppressant Lomaira (phentermine) and Adipex-P (phentermine) are approved for people ages 17 and older for weight loss.
And back in September 2014, a naltrexone-extended release plus bupropion extended release was approved under the brand name Contrave as the fourth medication approved for long-term weight management in obese patients.
Other drugs approved for weight loss, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH), include orlistat (Xenical), phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia), liraglutide (Saxenda), and setmelanotide (IMCIVREE).
The Role of Diet and Exercise in Cancer Risk
The NIH explains on it’s website, “The FDA has approved five of these drugs—orlistat (Xenical, Alli), phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia), naltrexone-bupropion (Contrave), liraglutide (Saxenda), and semaglutide (Wegovy)—for long-term use. A sixth approved drug, setmelanotide (IMCIVREE), is limited to people who have been diagnosed with one of three specific rare genetic disorders, which must be confirmed by genetic testing. You can keep taking these medications as long as you are benefiting from treatment and not experiencing serious side effects.
“Some weight management medications that curb appetite are approved by the FDA for short-term use only, for up to 12 weeks. Although some health care professionals prescribe them for longer periods, not many research studies have looked at how safe and effective they are for long-term use. Never take weight management medications if you are pregnant. If you are planning to get pregnant, you should also avoid these medications, as some of them may harm the fetus.”
Jelly Roll and Kathy Bates’ Weight Loss
Rapper and singer Jason Bradley DeFord, professionally known as Jelly Roll, said on a recent episode of his wife’s Bunnie XO’s podcast that he no longer looks like a “550-pound zombie” after losing 140 pounds, something he did without the help from anti-weight loss drugs.
Speaking on the “Dumb Blond” podcast, Jelly Rolle explained, “We’re not against Ozempic or any of that stuff. Every doctor I’ve talked to is for it. They said it helps. I just was afraid of it.
“As a singer, few things scare me more than acid reflux. Like, you’ll watch me get up out of a bed, I’ll burp and wake up panicked and go take something for it. You know? Because that stuff will just rip the vocal cords.”
Jelly Roll, who aims to lose more weight by next year, admitted, “I just could not afford any acid reflux. So I want to be very clear that I’ve done it naturally, but it wasn’t out of stubbornness or trying to prove a point.
“If it helps you, go get it. But for me, I was just petrified of the side effects of it.”
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As for Kathy Bates, the Academy Award-winning actress Kathy Bates, who previously fought breast and ovarian cancer, also admitted this year that her 100-pound weight loss has “tremendously” helped her career.
The two-time cancer survivor, who previously spoke with SurvivorNet about her health struggles, which included lymphedema [a chronic condition that causes swelling in the body due to lymph fluid buildup], also hasn’t been shy to admit she used Ozempic to lose the last 20 pounds in her weight loss journey.
In an interview with Variety, she spoke about how she felt her heaviest when she acted in the 2011 drama series “Harry’s Law,” Bates, saying, “I had to sit down every moment that I could. It was hard for me to walk. I’m ashamed I let myself get so out of shape, but now I have a tremendous amount of energy.”
Meanwhile, in an earlier interview with Universal Studios, Bates, who was 70 at the time, commented on how she felt after losing 60 pounds, saying, “This is the best health I’ve been in in years and I’m so grateful — it’s a miracle.”
Bates then shared a health tip she learned from a family member, “After you eat for 20-30 minutes, you experience an involuntary sigh. It’s communication between stomach and brain telling you you had enough.
“And what I discovered is if you listen to that sigh and push that plate away for just five minutes, you realize you’re satisfied and you don’t have to eat more.”
How can diet affect my cancer risk?
Cancer Risk and Obesity
Bodyweight can be a sensitive subject for many people on any given day. However, it’s important to understand that among cancer patients whose treatment and diagnosis may influence their weight, the numbers on the scale fuel an already emotional journey.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, “Being overweight or having obesity are linked with a higher risk of getting 13 types of cancer.”
Research published in the journal “Cancers” says that “Obesity also increases the risk of dying from cancer and may influence the treatment choices. About 4–8% of all cancers are attributed to obesity.”
Some of the cancers associated with being overweight or obese include:
- Colon
- Breast
- Ovarian
- Esophagus
- Pancreatic
- Multiple myeloma
- Endometrial
- Liver
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), fat tissue “produces excess amounts of estrogen,” which is associated with an increased risk of certain cancers, including breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancer. The NCI says a person who is severely obese is “7 times” more likely to be diagnosed with endometrial cancer.
Obesity is associated with high levels of insulin, which can lead to colon, kidney, prostate, and endometrial cancer.
It can also affect cancer survivors in various ways, including the chance of cancer recurrence and overall quality of life.
To learn more about your ideal healthy weight, determine your body mass index (BMI).
Body weight that exceeds what the body mass index deems appropriate for your weight and height can help determine body fat content. Although your BMI can help you learn if you are at a healthy weight, underweight, overweight, or obese, other factors may contribute to your overall health.
The NCI analyzed several studies to observe physical activity’s impact on overall cancer risk. The NCI says that “higher levels of physical activity are linked to lower risk of several types of cancer.”
Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and managing stress are some ways people can practice leading a healthy life. For cancer survivors, a healthier lifestyle alongside getting regular checks for recurrence may improve your quality of life.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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