Cancer rates in people under the age of 50 are skyrocketing. Since the 1990s, a ground-breaking study reports, diagnoses of several cancer types, including breast, liver, colorectal, esophageal, bile duct, thyroid, bone marrow, pancreatic and neck, have been on the rise in younger people around the world.1
Several factors, such as diet, lifestyle, obesity and the microbiome—all of which have shifted drastically over the last few decades—could be to blame, say the researchers. Let’s take a closer look at some of these potential causes and what we can do about them.
PROBLEM: OBESITY AND THE WESTERN DIET
Worldwide, obesity rates have nearly tripled since 1975,particularly in developed countries. Per the World Health Organization, as of 2016 (the most recent statistics available), 1.9 billion adults were overweight with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more. And 650 million of those individuals were considered obese with a BMI of 30 or greater.2
Sedentary lifestyles coupled with a Westernized diet rich in sugars, carbohydrates and processed foods are wreaking havoc on waistlines and overall health. Being overweight or obese significantly increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, osteoarthritis and certain cancers, including breast, colon, kidney, endometrial, ovarian, gall bladder, prostate and liver cancers.
SOLUTION: GO KETO
At my clinic, the Cancer Center for Healing, we recommend that most patients follow a modified
