Obesity and Cancer Risk Among Women

The link between obesity and a higher risk of developing various forms of cancer has been well drawn. When it comes to women, you may be shocked at how significant that increased risk is.

According to data from Cancer Research UK, 274 in every 1,000 obese women are expected to develop some form of weight-related cancer—such as bowel, postmenopausal breast or kidney—during their lifetime. “Healthy-weight” women fare much better, with 194 out of 1,000 likely to receive a cancer diagnosis. That means obese women are 41% more likely to develop cancer than those
with a healthy weight. The report also estimated that weight could be associated with 18,000 new cancer cases each year.

“We know that our cancer risk depends on a combination of our genes, our environment and other aspects of our lives, many of which we can control—helping people understand how they can reduce their risk of developing cancer in the first place remains crucial in tackling the disease,” says Julie Sharp, PhD, head of health information at Cancer Research UK, in a press release.