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Maintaining a healthy weight is becoming increasingly uncommon, with only one in four U.S. adults falling into that category. New research suggests excess weight may be responsible for significantly more cancers than once thought. After analyzing data from more than 450,000 people, researchers estimated that excess body fat is linked to over 11% of all cancer cases, nearly twice earlier estimates.
The study found that using better measures of body fat changed the picture dramatically. When researchers considered waist size and body fat quartiles, while correcting for biases in earlier research, excess body weight was linked to more than one in 10 cancer cases.
Body mass index (BMI) has long been the standard measure for assessing body weight because it's easy to calculate. But it isn't a direct measure of body fat. It overlooks where fat accumulates in the body, which researchers now know plays an important role in cancer risk. That's why two people with the same BMI can have very different health profiles.
Researchers tracked participants for nearly 12 years and recorded more than 50,000 cancer cases. Their findings suggest excess body fat may increase cancer risk by promoting inflammation and raising estrogen and insulin, all of which can stimulate cancer growth.
Overall, the new analysis suggests obesity may account for significantly more cancer cases than previously estimated. The findings also indicate the impact may be greater in women than men and stronger in adults younger than 60. Across nearly every measure, cancer risk climbed as body fat increased, suggesting the relationship is a gradual continuum instead of an all-or-nothing threshold.
With obesity becoming more common worldwide and people living longer, the number of cancers linked to excess weight is expected to increase substantially. The study highlights obesity prevention and treatment as powerful tools for lowering future cancer rates.
To view the original scientific study click below:
Excess Weight May Account for More Than 10% of All Cancers: The Underestimated Impact of the Obesity Epidemic
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