Aside from smoking and alcohol use, obesity is the highest non-genetic cancer risk factor. In the US, where two in five adults are obese, body weight is a substantial public health concern that poses immediate and long-term challenges. Find out how obesity contributes to tumor formation and why maintaining a healthy body weight leads to improved quality of life. 

Obesity: A Definition

According to the CDC, adults are considered obese if they have a body mass index (BMI) that is 30 or higher. Today, roughly 40% of US adults meet this standard criteria for obesity. American children aren’t far behind, with 1 in 5 youths considered obese. The obesity epidemic is a global issue, but Americans are far more likely to be obese than adults in Europe, Asia, and most developing countries. 

How Obesity Leads to Cancer

There are many overlapping factors that bind obesity and cancer. For example, obese individuals are more likely to eat diets high in sodium, be less active, or have underlying health conditions that predispose them to certain cancer types. The most direct links between cancer and obesity are persistent inflammation, high insulin levels, and hormonal changes. There is also evidence showing that cancer risk increases the heavier an individual is compared to a healthy BMI and the longer a person is overweight. 

Obesity-associated Cancers

Researchers have linked 13 types of cancer to obesity. The CDC notes that diagnoses of these obesity-related cancers made up 40% of all cancer diagnoses per year. 

  • Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.
  • Breast (in women who have gone through menopause).
  • Colon and rectum.
  • Uterus.
  • Gallbladder.
  • Upper stomach.
  • Kidneys.
  • Liver.
  • Ovaries.
  • Pancreas.
  • Thyroid.
  • Meningioma (a type of brain cancer).
  • Multiple myeloma.

In 2021, there were 693,000 diagnoses of obesity-related cancer, with 69.4% of those cases attributed to females. Breast cancer is the most common diagnosis, notably among post-menopausal women. It’s also worth noting that 90% of these cases occur in individuals 50 or older. 

Offset Your Cancer Risk 

If battling obesity were easy, nearly 40% of the adult population would not live at unhealthy weights. Addressing obesity is both a personal and public health debate, which will require:

  • Increased access to healthy foods, particularly in schools and universities
  • Increased food labeling requirements on calories, sodium, and saturated fats
  • Physical education and nutrition classes in public schools
  • Increased monitoring of food nutrients in consumer packaged goods

Of course, individuals need to follow a healthy diet, make time for physical activity, and encourage the whole family to walk, run, and stay active. 

Committed to Prevention 

Less Cancer is a non-profit with a simple mission: making cancer prevention a priority. With increased access to healthcare, better education, and local resources, we can reduce the obesity rate in America and shrink the number of obesity-related cancer diagnoses per year. You can help; consider donating to Less Cancer and keep our programs running.