Overeating: A Conundrum of Lipid Metabolism and Inflammation in Obesity and Cancer

The global rise in obesity has coincided with an alarming increase in early-onset cancers and other chronic noncommunicable diseases, underscoring the urgent need to understand the underlying mechanisms linking excess body weight with disease pathogenesis. While genetic factors account for disease risk, environmental and dietary influences, particularly those associated with Western hypercaloric diets, play a dominant role in shaping metabolic health. Obesity-driven insulin resistance and chronic inflammation are now recognized as central contributors to a wide range of pathologies, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver, and multiple cancer types. Emerging evidence suggests that disrupted insulin signaling, altered lipid metabolism, and chronic inflammation converge to promote a tumor-permissive tissue microenvironment. This review examines the mechanistic links between insulin signaling, lipid metabolism, and inflammation as the causality of increased cancer risk in obesity.