Evidence Mounts for Obesity, Cancer Link

We have become the heaviest people in the history of our species, with two-thirds of Americans officially classified as overweight, and one of every three tipping the scales into the “obese” range.

A newly published public health study underscores the disturbing extent to which excess weight increases our risks of several common types of cancer.

Day after day, too many of us load up with more fat- and calorie-packed foods than our bodies can utilize. Surrounded by effort-saving devices that have drastically reduced our food-derived energy needs, a majority of Americans are becoming progressively heavier and heavier.

Moreover, obesity now affects a shocking percentage of children and adolescents in our society. It is no longer uncommon to see children and teens with obesity-related diseases previously seen only in adults, such as diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, gallstones, and cardiovascular disease.

In addition to these chronic illnesses, it has become abundantly clear that excess weight also increases the risk of multiple types of cancer. The latest evidence appears in The Lancet Oncology, reporting on a huge study of more than 400,000 patient volunteers from Asia, Australia, and New Zealand who were followed for an average of four years.

The study found that obese participants (BMI of 30 or higher) had a 21 percent higher risk of death due to cancer than those of normal weight (BMI less than 25).

The risks for the obese of dying from certain specific types of cancer were even higher, including:

· 50 percent increased risk of death due to colon cancer;

· 68 percent for rectal cancer;

· 63 percent for breast cancer (in postmenopausal women);

· 162 percent for ovarian cancer;

· 321 percent for cancer of the cervix;

· 45 percent for prostate cancer;

· 66 percent for leukemia.

These findings are worrisome, to say the least, given the growing public health problem posed by obesity not just in the United States but, increasingly, around the world. The list of chronic, major illnesses associated with obesity continues to expand (along with our collective waistlines).

If you are overweight or obese, please consult with your physician for advice on how best to lose your excess weight. Meanwhile, sharply reduce your intake of high-calorie and high-fat foods, and begin a responsible and consistent exercise program, under your physician’s supervision.


(For a more detailed discussion of the scientific links between obesity and cancer, look for my new book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, in August.)