The American Cancer Society released a study recently showing that each successive generation after the Boomer generation shows an increase in cancer diagnoses. Specifically, the incidence rate was approximately two-to-three times higher in the 1990 birth cohort than in the 1955 birth cohort for pancreatic, Kidney, and small intestinal cancers in both male and female individuals; and for liver cancer in female individuals. Researchers are trying to understand why this is happening. We spoke with the American Cancer Society and I also reached out to Dr. Jayne Middlebrooks Morgan to break this down for us.
Dr. Morgan explains that the medical community is facing the fact that younger generations will have shorter life expectancy than their parents. The main reason is that younger generations are spending the majority of their lives obese. Morgan shared that cancer is developing in people who have been obese for twenty or more years.
Before I even asked the question Dr. Morgan spoke about the new weight loss drugs which are actually old diabetes drugs that have been found to reduce the instances of ten of the 13 cancers associated with obesity. When I asked if we were being experimented on with these drugs she assured me we are not. These same drugs have been used for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes for many years after being researched. The use for weight loss is considered an“off-label” use. These drugs have been found to improve cardiovascular disease and now the instances of obesity-related cancers.
Folks can keep up with Dr. Jayne Morgan and her health tips at Stairwell Chronicles.