Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : August 17, 2018 2:35 PM IST
The findings appeared in the Journal of Mitochondrion. © Shutterstock
Our grandparents did not suffer from malice like cancer at the rate we are suffering today. The older generation did not have the luxury of advanced technology and simplified living. In the current competitive world, extracting the most out of each minute of the day is paramount in order to survive the rat race! While we strive to achieve our goals in order to lead more comfortable lives, we tend to forget the basic essentials of healthy living. Most facilities are now available at the click of a button, bringing even the most mundane of needs to our doorstep. The result is a lifestyle associated with limited activity, both at home and workplace. While our grandparents may be stronger than us constitutionally even today owing to their non-sedentary lifestyle, we grapple with minor and major illnesses that tend to take a toll on our overall quality of living. Here Dr Ramakant Deshpande, Onco surgeon, at Asian Cancer Institute tells us how sedentary lifestyle can make us more prone to different types of cancers:
How much blame can we place on sedentary lifestyle for a malaise like cancer?
A sedentary lifestyle is associated with problems of obesity and resultant heart disease, diabetes etc., however, we are now witnessing an increase in the number of cancer cases due to physical inactivity. Cancer is a dreaded disease associated with uncontrolled increase in the number of cells in our body. Heredity and genetic changes are commonly implicated as a cause for cancer, though it is not always right blame the genes alone. Our lifestyle and environment account for 90 95% of most chronic illnesses, cancer is no exception. An unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle may contribute to further aggravate cancer status. Moreover, sedentary lifestyle has now been specifically shown to lead to occurrence of certain cancers, namely colon, endometrial and lung.
Does cancer affect one particular gender more than the other?
According to statistics from the National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research, India has an estimated 2.5 million people living with cancer. Every year, over 11 lakh new cancer patients are registered with close to 6 lakh cancer-related deaths each year. Cancer affects individuals of any age, male and female as well as any socio-economic strata. While lip and oral cavity cancers are more common among men; women are commonly affected by breast and cervical cancer. By 2020, the world population is expected to have approximately 15 million new cancer cases with close to 12 million cancer-related deaths. India accounts for the third highest number of cancer cases among women after China and the US, growing annually at 4.5%.
But if one has a history in the family, what are his chances of living a cancer-free life with lifestyle modifications?
At the crux of the matter is that, most of the common cancers (oral, lung, colon, pancreas etc.) are caused by lifestyle factors namely tobacco, alcohol consumption, improper diet, inadequate physical activity etc., all of which affect physiological mechanisms in the body. The key words are prevention and early detection. Although the hereditary factors cannot be modified, the lifestyle and environmental factors are potentially modifiable.
Physical inactivity is now becoming an epidemic. Individuals (the younger generation especially) prefer the comfort of their homes with various gadgets to outdoor recreational activities. There are studies showing the relationship between TV viewing time, recreational sitting time, occupational sitting time, and total sitting time with the risk of various chronic illnesses and cancers. An astonishing percentage of risk for colon, endometrial, breast, prostate, pancreas and lung cancers have been associated with highest levels of sedentary behaviour. The risk, moreover, was reported to further rise with each 2-hour increase in sitting time. The reason behind this could also be attributed to eating and drinking junk foods and sweetened beverages.
How does physical activity improve quality of life and reduce risk of cancer?
According to The World Health Organization estimates (2010), globally about 23% of adults did less than the recommended weekly level of activity, thereby increasing their risk for various cancers. The proportion of adults in high-income countries not meeting the recommended levels of activity is even higher.
The solution to reducing cancer risk is thus simple: Do not be a couch potato! Increase activity, eat healthy and maintain an optimum weight. Physical activity is defined as any movement that uses skeletal muscles and requires more energy than resting. Activity boosts the immune system, controls inflammation in the body, strengthens muscles and bones thereby improving overall health and reducing cancer risk.
From a molecular mechanism point of view, for example in colorectal cancer, physical activity reduces body fat, insulin resistance and inflammation all of which have been linked to colorectal cancer development. Similarly, regular exercising will aid in reducing insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), estrogen receptor associated changes, both of which have been implicated in cases of breast cancer.
So, are obese people who also lead a sedentary life more at risk of developing cancer?
Obesity, as we know causes a constant inflammatory state in the body. This is associated with various systemic illnesses including cancers (especially endometrial, ovarian etc.) The target should be to maintain a healthy weight through diet and exercise. Overall, an improvement in immune system will be noticed which will promote the body's tumour response (improved tumor surveillance). Aerobic exercise decreases oxidative stress, which is otherwise detrimental to cells and tissues and therefore can be expected to suppress carcinogenesis. Individuals who are physically active also tend to have higher exposure to sunlight and consequently higher levels of vitamin D, which may modify cell proliferation.
In a nutshell, get up and get moving. It is not necessary to become a fitness freak and over exercise in order to stay healthy. Simple measures such as climbing stairs, avoiding cars and other modes of transport for short distances, a walk around the park go a long way in ensuring proper functioning of our body systems and reducing risk of development of cancer. The standard recommendations for adults advise at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity or equivalent per week. For children, the recommendation would be 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity each day, with vigorous activity for at least 3 days. This will ensure holistic growth of the child along with disease prevention.
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