Overweight, Obesity and Cancer – Does Body Weight Affect Cancer Risk?

The link between obesity and cancer risk is clear. But what’s less clear is how exactly one leads to the other.

Research shows that excess body fat increases your risk for several cancers, including:

• Breast Cancer (in women past menopause)
• Colon and rectum Cancer
• Endometrium (lining of the uterus) Cancer
• Esophagus Cancer
• Kidney related cancers
• Pancreas related cancers

The links between body weight and cancer are complex and are not yet fully understood. 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.

Does losing weight reduce cancer risk?

Clinical researches and proofs are limited on how losing weight might lower the risk of developing the cancer. Still, there’s growing evidence that weight loss might reduce the risk of breast cancer (after menopause), more aggressive forms of prostate cancer, and possibly other cancers, too.

But due to some body changes as a result of weight loss suggest some reduction in cancer risks. For example losing weight leads to reduced levels of certain hormones that are related to cancer risk, such as insulin, estrogens, and androgens.

Basically, higher estrogen levels lead to increased cell production, which could result in tumor growth.

Cancer and obesity: What you can do?

Reduce your cancer risk by achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight. Eat and drink based on your energy needs. Cutting down your weight will reduce your cancer risk.

Here are some tips recommended by cancer council:

• Limit the portion size of your meals and snacks
• Eat plenty of fruit, vegetables, legumes, wholegrain and high-fibre foods
• Cut out unhealthy snacks and replace with nuts, fruit, yoghurt or cheese
• Swap sugary drinks for water
• For breakfast, add fruit and yogurt to wholegrain cereal or serve some veggies with your eggs and toast

Looking ahead…

Research around the “why” of cancer and overweight is still in its infancy and we have only recently started to better understand the reasons behind how excess fat can lead to cancer. Aside from reducing cancer risk, losing weight has many other health benefits such as lowering the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Losing weight for a healthy lifestyle is a good place to start.