How obesity causes cancer, and may make screening and treatment harder

Today, almost two in every three Australian adults are overweight or obese, as is one in four children. Obesity is a disease itself and a risk factor linked to ischaemic heart disease (the leading cause of premature deaths today in Australia), stroke (the third leading cause), and musculoskeletal conditions (the second major cause of disability), among others.

This rising obesity burden is the outcome of a host of factors, many of which are beyond the control of the individual. It is having a devastating impact on