Sandesh Lamsal, a physician, wrote in The Kathmandu Post that obesity and sedentary behaviour can alter hormonal, metabolic and inflammatory processes in the body, contributing to the risk of several cancers. The article described how excess adipose tissue leads to higher levels of insulin and estrogen, which can promote cell proliferation and inhibit normal cell death mechanisms. Lamsal explained that chronic inflammation associated with excess weight creates an environment prone to DNA damage and impaired immune response against early tumors. The piece noted that these changes do not occur in isolation but interact to elevate overall cancer susceptibility.
The Kathmandu Post article highlighted specific pathways including insulin resistance from inactivity that fuels tumor growth even among those not classified as obese. Lamsal referenced how fat tissue produces cytokines that sustain inflammation, a process linked in medical literature to multiple malignancies. A Lancet report issued in March 2025 projected that half of Nepal’s adults could be overweight or obese by 2050, which the publication connected to anticipated rises in cancer alongside diabetes and heart disease. Such trends, according to the combined sources, reflect shifting dietary habits and reduced physical activity in urban areas.
An International Agency for Research on Cancer assessment found that excess body weight is linked to higher incidence of at least 13 cancer types, with population attributable fractions estimated at 3.6 percent globally for cancers in adults. The Kathmandu Post piece aligned with these findings by detailing how physical inactivity independently raises risk, with one study of more than 315,000 participants showing an 11 percent higher cancer likelihood for those exceeding waist circumference thresholds even if they met activity guidelines. World Health Organization data integrated in related analyses places physical inactivity as a contributor to substantial portions of noncommunicable disease burden including certain cancers. The article by Lamsal placed these global statistics within Nepal’s evolving health landscape.
Lamsal wrote that mechanical effects of excess weight, such as gastroesophageal reflux, combine with systemic changes to further elevate risk profiles for certain digestive tract cancers. The Kathmandu Post reported that sedentary behaviour compounds these issues by lowering metabolic efficiency and cardiovascular capacity, creating conditions less able to suppress malignant transformations. An IARC working group evaluation concluded that the absence of excess body fatness lowers the risk of most cancers, with mechanisms centered on sex hormone metabolism, insulin signaling and chronic inflammation. The physician’s account synthesised such evidence to clarify interconnected pathways.
According to a separate IARC study published in 2023, individuals with excess weight, obesity and cardiovascular diseases face a 17 percent higher cancer risk, particularly for bowel, breast and liver cancers. The Kathmandu Post article echoed this by noting how preclinical obesity, defined by excess adiposity without overt metabolic dysfunction, already correlates with elevated cancer incidence in large cohort data from more than 450,000 adults. Lamsal’s contribution emphasised that intentional weight management and increased activity could interrupt these trajectories based on established research. International projections suggest the obesity-related cancer burden will continue rising without targeted prevention.
The Lancet Commission framework referenced in supporting literature distinguishes preclinical from clinical obesity, associating the latter with even higher risks for metabolically driven cancers such as colorectal and endometrial. An International Agency for Research on Cancer review determined that excess body weight ranks as the third leading preventable cause of cancer after smoking and infection in many regions. Lamsal concluded his piece in The Kathmandu Post by underscoring the value of understanding these modifiable factors to support public health efforts in Nepal. The coverage aligns with broader calls from global health bodies to address rising overweight prevalence through policy and education.
