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Obesity and Cancer Linked
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- Parent Category: Advanced News Lessons
- Category: Health Lessons
- Written by Chris Cotter
Obesity causes numerous ailments, from heart disease to diabetes to cancer. In fact, the American Institute for Cancer Research estimates that in excess of 100,000 cases of cancer occur yearly in the US because of obesity. This statement comes from evidence extrapolated from the annual number of cancer cases. It is the first evidence that demonstrates the link between cancer and obesity on such an immense scale. Furthermore, it has already been realized that obesity markedly shortens the survival rate of individuals afflicted with cancer. Leaner and healthier lifestyles are key to reducing cancer risks.
It should come as no surprise that obesity oftentimes starts at a young age, with children observing and mimicking the eating habits of their parents. It mom and dad are frequenters of fast food joints, it sends a clear signal that hamburgers, fries, and jumbo-sized soft drinks are a reasonable diet choice.
New evidence indicates that the origin of weight problems later in life can be subtler than cheeseburgers and the like. If kids drink two or more sweetened drinks daily as early as five years of age, then they tended to weigh more and have higher contents of body fat than kids who abstained from sweetened drinks. In addition, past studies irrefutably indicate that overweight teens have a greater likelihood of becoming obese as adults, leading to health problems like cancer.
In short, obesity is more than a passing concern. It is reaching epidemic proportions, with the disease starting as young as childhood. Clearly something must be done.
Preview some of the lesson material:
Warm Up: Do you agree or disagree? Why?
- Obesity is a serious problem.
- Obesity should be labeled a disease like cancer or AIDS.
- Cancer is a serious problem.
- Obesity causes cancer.
- I'm very concerned about my health.
Fragments: Remember how the fragments were used, and complete the sentence from today's article.
- Obesity causes numerous ailments, from...
- Leaner and healthier lifestyles are...
- It mom and dad are frequenters of fast food joints, it sends a clear signal that...
- New evidence indicates that the origin of weight problems later...
- It is reaching epidemic proportions, with the...
post-Comprehension: Talk about the following questions in pairs/groups. Remember to support your answers!
- How serious of a problem is obesity? Please explain.
- What additional health problems are caused by obesity?
- Were you surprised that obesity can begin from something simple like sweetened drinks?
- What should parents do in order to prevent obesity in their children?
- Should the government or other organizations do anything to limit obesity?
Google Search: Type "obesity" into Google. Look at the websites, and/or read additional articles on this topic. Discuss or write an essay about your findings.
