Does body weight affect cancer risk?
The cancer-weight connection…
According to an estimate, 1 out of every 3 cancers in the United States is linked to excess body weight, poor nutrition, or physical inactivity. While these factors are all related and may all contribute to cancer risk, body weight seems to have the strongest evidence linking it to cancer. In fact, studies also show that excess body weight contributes to 14% to 20% of all cancer-related deaths.
Overweight & cancer connection
Being overweight or obese is clearly linked with an increased risk of many cancers, including cancer of the breast (in women past menopause), colon, endometrium (uterus), esophagus, and kidney. Obesity has also been linked with an increased risk of cancers of the pancreas, gallbladder, thyroid, ovary, and cervix, as well as multiple myeloma, Hodgkin lymphoma, and aggressive prostate cancer. But the links between body weight and cancer are complex and are not yet fully understood. For example, studies have found that excess weight is linked with an increased risk of breast cancer in women after menopause, but not before menopause.
The timing of weight gain might also affect cancer risk. Being overweight during childhood and young adulthood might be more of a risk factor than gaining weight later in life for some cancers. For example, some research suggests that women who are overweight as teenagers (but not those who gain weight as adults) may be at higher risk for developing ovarian cancer before menopause.
How might body weight affect cancer risk?
Excess body weight may affect cancer risk through a number of mechanisms, some of which may be specific to particular cancer types. Excess body fat may affect:
- How the body processes fats and sugars
- Immune system function
- Levels of certain hormones, such as insulin and estrogen
- Factors that regulate cell division, such as insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)
- Proteins that influence how the body uses certain hormones, such as sex hormonebinding globulin
Does losing weight reduce cancer risk?
There is growing evidence that weight loss may significantly reduce the risk of certain cancers, such as breast cancer and more aggressive forms of prostate cancer. For example, overweight or obese people who intentionally lose weight have reduced levels of certain hormones that are related to cancer risk, such as insulin, estrogens, and androgens. In addition, losing weight can have many other health benefits, such as lowering the risk of other chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.
Weight loss Recommendations for lowering cancer risk
The best way to stay at a healthy body weight is to balance how much you eat with how active you are. If you are overweight, the best way to get to a healthy body weight is to limit the calories you take in, and burn more calories through physical activity.
Keep an eye on your diet: The healthiest way to reduce calorie intake is to limit your intake of added sugars, saturated and trans fats, and alcohol, which all contain many calories but few or no essential nutrients. Calorie intake can be reduced by decreasing the size of food portions and limiting your intake of foods and beverages that are high in calories, fat, and/or refined sugars, and which provide few nutrients (such as fried foods, cookies, cakes, candy, ice cream, and soft drinks). Such foods and beverages should be replaced with choices like vegetables and fruits, whole grains, beans, and lower-calorie beverages.
Exercise: The American Cancer Society recommends that adults get at least 30 minutes (preferably 45 to 60 minutes) of moderate to vigorous physical activity, above usual activities, on 5 or more days of the week. In addition to helping you get to or maintain a healthy weight, both eating a healthy diet and increasing your physical activity may have their own health benefits, including lowering your risk of cancer.
Herbal supplement: Because of the increased risk of side effects and complications, it is best to avoid medical drug therapy to treat your obesity unless recommended by your doctor. Using a safe, herbal weight loss supplement can also be your best strategy to add to the existing weight program consisting of diet and exercise.
In short, increasing evidence suggests that being overweight raises the risk of cancer recurrence and may lower the chances of survival for many cancers. Both during and after cancer treatment, people should strive to achieve and maintain a healthy weight whenever possible.
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