Cancer Research UK: Government must learn lessons from declining smoking rates in fighting obesity

03 Jul 2019 --- New figures from Cancer Research UK show that excess weight causes more cases of certain cancers than smoking and that people who are obese now outnumber people who smoke two to one in the UK. The charity is urging the UK Government to take action to tackle the issue, noting that while the next generation could be smoke-free, obesity has reached epidemic levels. Tackling obesity in a government-led way that mirrors how smoking was approached could be key, they suggest. However, as the successor to UK Prime Minister Theresa May is still undecided, there are worries by some in the industry that combating obesity will not remain a key policy priority.

“As smoking rates fall and obesity rates rise, we can clearly see the impact on a national health crisis when the Government puts policies in place – and when it puts its head in the sand,” says Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s Chief Executive. “Our children could be a smoke-free generation, but we’ve hit a devastating record high for childhood obesity and now we need urgent Government intervention to end the epidemic. They still have a chance to save lives.”

Almost a third of UK adults are obese. Yet while smoking is still the nation’s biggest preventable cause of cancer and carries a much higher risk of the disease than obesity, Cancer Research UK’s analysis revealed that being overweight or obese trumps smoking as the leading cause of four different types of cancer.This image is part of the charity's new campaign, which has stirred some controversy in the UK.

Excess weight causes around 1,900 more cases of bowel cancer than smoking in the UK each year. The same worrying pattern is true of cancer in the kidneys (1,400 more cases caused by excess weight than by smoking each year in the UK), ovaries (460) and liver (180). 

However, it has been noted that progress on obesity in the UK has been far too slow. The Obesity Health Alliance (OHA) said last month that one year on from the publication of the Government’s landmark Childhood Obesity Plan (“Chapter 2”), the majority of vital policies have been stalled at the amber light level (see scorecard image). The Alliance also notes that 86 percent of the public say childhood obesity is a “serious problem,” with 69 percent agreeing that the UK's new Prime Minister should continue to prioritize reducing childhood obesity.

The new analysis comes at the same time as Boris Johnson, in his bid to become the leader of the UK Conservative Party and the country’s new Prime Minister, has made somewhat controversial comments about government health and food-related policies. Specifically, Johnson recently promised a review of 'unhealthy food taxes', or so-called “sin taxes”, as part of an examination of whether levies on foods high in salt, fat and sugar are effective.Scorecard image from OHA.

“There is a danger that a new Prime Minister might take us in a different direction, but the public has spoken loud and clear – and a leader who can get us to the destination quicker is going to win favor with voters. The Government now needs to get on and make sure child-friendly policies such as a 9 pm watershed on junk food adverts on TV and online are introduced as quickly and effectively as possible,” says Caroline Cerny, Alliance Lead at the OHA.

“The clock is ticking to the Government’s deadline to halve childhood obesity. The 11-year-olds we will measure in 2030 are being born this year. We owe them the best chance of growing up healthy and delays in bringing ineffective policies mean more children are at risk of suffering ill-health linked to excess weight.”

Government-led change
Cancer Research UK launched a nationwide campaign this week to increase awareness of the link between obesity and cancer. Extra body fat sends out signals that can tell cells to divide more often and, similar to smoking, can cause damage that builds up over time and raises the risk of cancer.

The campaign compares smoking and obesity to show how policy change can help people form healthier habits, not to compare tobacco with food.

“Scientists have so far identified that obesity causes 13 types of cancer but the mechanisms aren’t fully understood. So further research is needed to find out more about the ways extra body fat can lead to cancer,” notes Mitchell.

The charity wants Government to act on its ambition to halve childhood obesity rates by 2030.The charity wants Government to act on its ambition to halve childhood obesity rates by 2030 and introduce the 9pm watershed for junk food adverts on TV and online, alongside other measures such as restricting promotional offers on unhealthy food and drinks.

“There isn’t a silver bullet to reduce obesity, but the huge fall in smoking over the years – partly thanks to advertising and environmental bans – shows that Government-led change works. It was needed to tackle sky-high smoking rates and now the same is true for obesity,” adds Professor Linda Bauld, Cancer Research UK’s Prevention Expert.

“The world we live in doesn’t make it easy to be healthy and we need Government action to fix that, but people can also make changes themselves; small things like swapping junk food for healthier options and keeping active can all add up to help reduce cancer risk.”

Tackling obesity clearly requires a multi-pronged approach that targets the public in a variety of ways and settings. Government initiatives that feed into the food industry, such as so-called “sin taxes,” can also be significant drivers of change. Such efforts will spur reformulation efforts, such as the sugar tax on beverages in the UK, which followed its food and beverage sugar-reduction plan from 2016. The latter challenged all sectors of the food industry – including retailers, manufacturers, restaurants, cafés and pub chains – to reduce by 20 percent the level of sugar in food formulations by 2020. Industry was also challenged to achieve a 5 percent reduction in the first year of the program which was not successful. 

When the new British Prime Minister is elected, some more clarity may well be delivered on the governments plan for tackling the epidemic.

By Laxmi Haigh