A specific condition that occurs in the bodies of inactive and overweight individuals may actually encourage the process of cancer development, claim researchers from the Washington dc -based American Institute for Cancer Research. They say being overweight can cause the body to release high levels of insulin and other hormones known as "growth factors'. In normal people, release of insulin is tightly regulated. But in obese people, the tissues are constantly exposed to high levels of insulin, which cause their cells to reproduce quickly. When cells reproduce rapidly the chances of their random mutation increase. This risk augmentation can lead to cancer (Hindustan Times, November 26, 2001).