A recent study has found that the longer a woman is overweight, the greater her risk for developing several cancers such as breast, endometrial, colon, and kidney cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, additional weight contributes to as many as 20 percent of all cancer deaths. This is a significant concern because about 7 out of every 10 adults in the United States today are overweight and about one-third are obese.
The study used data from the Women’s Health Initiative, a research project that followed a sample of 74,000 U.S. women between the ages of 50 to 79. Researchers measured women’s height and weight and asked them to recall their weight at ages 18, 35 and 50.
During the next twelve years, about 6,300 women developed an obesity-related cancer such as breast, ovarian, endometrial, colon, kidney, liver, or pancreatic cancer. The risk of developing any of these cancers was directly proportional to the number of years a woman had been overweight. On average, the odds for developing cancer rose by 10 percent for every 10 years a woman was obese.
It turned out that the risk of developing any of those cancers rose in tandem with the number of years a woman had been obese. The odds rose by 7 percent for every decade a woman had been overweight.
Susan Gapstur, vice president of epidemiology for the American Cancer Society, says that this new research should serve as an incentive to keep body weight within a normal range.
“We’ve known for a long time that excess weight is important in cancer risk…This study is interesting because it suggests that the number of years you spend being overweight also matters,” said Gapstur.
This study provides yet another reason to maintain a healthy body weight. Being overweight or obese increases your risk for many other conditions besides cancer, such as heart disease, colon disease and type 2 diabetes. As this year comes to an end, it’s not too late to make a health a fitness goal. Read more about nutrition and exercise and utilize some of the resources on our site to get started!