Eating too much 'may cause cancer'

With supermarkets increasingly offering special offers on food and some restaurants providing all-you-can-eat buffets, the temptation is often there to eat more food than is needed.

This could be due to people trying to get their money's worth or being loathe to throw things away, but cancer insurance customers who are overeating may actually be placing their long-term health at risk.

Aside from the obvious short-term implications of gaining weight, women who over eat and force their bodies to take on too much food may be placing themselves at risk of developing cancer, according to one expert.

Dr Laura Wyness, senior nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation, pointed out that excess calories lead to obesity, which is a common trigger for many forms of the disease.

"These have been linked to an increased risk of a number of common cancers including postmenopausal breast cancer," she explained.

Ms Wyness added that obesity is also closely linked to the onset of colon cancer, endometrial cancer and cancer of the oesophagus and pancreas, all of which could be avoided by adopting a more sensible eating regimen.

In general, overeating can be controlled by preparing food at home and regulating portions, the nutritionist stated.

"Pre-prepared convenience foods can sometimes be high in fat, sugar and/or salt," she said.

Ms Wyness pointed to the recent publication of NHS statistics showing that in 2007, 1.23 million prescription items were dispensed for the treatment of obesity compared to 130,000 items in 1999.

People with breast cancer insurance can help to stem the tide of obesity by maintaining a healthy weight and frequently doing physical activity, the representative explained.

She concluded that checking the labels on food and eating wisely can not only prevent cancer, but also other potential killers such as heart disease and type-2 diabetes.

By James McCann

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