Does Being Overweight Increase Your Risk Of Cancer?

Many of us understand that being overweight can affect our health in a great number of ways. The biggest health risks are heart disease and type II diabetes, and it seems most of us are pretty well aware of the links when it comes to these.

However, according to Cancer Research UK, as little as 3% of the British population realise that a body mass index above the healthy range (over 25) can greatly increase your risk of cancer. This lack of awareness is particularly worrying to health professionals as being overweight is a major preventable risk factor for cancer.

Professor Jane Wardle, Health Behaviour Unit Director – Cancer Research UK says: “Excess body body fat is not harmless ‘extra padding’, but active tissue producing hormones that can increase the risk of cancer.”

Basically, simply having more adipose (fatty) tissue, results in a higher risk of cancer than a person of normal weight. Also, in an indirect way overweight people are less likely to have a healthy lifestyle. Eating a healthy diet and taking regular exercise have long been considered factors in lowering your risk of cancer across the board. A healthy balanced diet that includes foods from all food groups in the correct quantity provides the range of vitamins and minerals needed for health.

Scientists are currently researching the link between fat and cancer. There are no certain conclusions as yet, but increased hormone levels seems to be the top theory.

A study published in The New England Journal Of Medicine last year found an increased risk of all types of cancer (to varying degrees) in those with a body mass index above the healthy range.

Over 900,000 adults were studied (404,576 men & 495,477 women). All were free of cancer on enrolment in the study in 1982, and during 16 years of follow up there were 57,145 deaths from cancer. Conclusions were drawn for all individual types of cancer based on sex and BMI.

At the top end of the scale (body mass index of 40+), men had a 52% higher combined risk (risk across all cancers) compared with those of a healthy weight, and women a 62% higher risk.

The study found, quite consistently, that with almost all forms of cancer, as BMI went up, so did the risk. More specifically, BMI had a greatly significant correlation to death rates when it came to cancer of the oesophagus, colon, stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, prostate (in men), and breast (in women).

The study concluded that in the U.S., more than 90,000 deaths from cancer could be avoided each year if people remained a healthy weight throughout their lifetime.

What all this tells us is that we can have some control! In the same way as a person has a choice when it comes to smoking cigarettes, we also have a choice when it comes to our lifestyle – more importantly our weight.

Cancer Research UK have released these results to increase awareness that there is something we can do to help prevent ourselves from being at high risk of contracting cancer… Maintain a healthy weight!

Calculate Your BMI

BMI can be calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in metres squared.

Body mass index (BMI) = weight(kg) ÷ height(m)²

BMI <20	Underweight
BMI 20-25	Healthy Weight
BMI 25-30	Overweight
BMI >30	Obese