 Ask
the Cancer Information Service
Weight and cancer risks
Q: Does being overweight increase the risk for cancer?
A: Recent research studies suggest that too much body weight increases the risk
for many diseases, including some cancers. The risk rises gradually with increasing
weight. With nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population considered overweight or
obese, scientists continue to study the link between obesity and cancer.
Obesity is different from overweight. People who are overweight have too much
body weight. This extra weight can come from fat, muscle, bone, and/or water
retention. People who are obese have an abnormally high, unhealthy amount of
body fat.
So far, the results from research on obesity and cancer have been mixed. Some
studies have shown that obesity increases overall cancer risk while other studies
have not shown a link.
However, obesity does appear to be linked to some types of cancers. These include
cancers of the breast (in women who are past menopause), colon, prostate, endometrium
(lining of the uterus), cervix, ovaries, kidney and gallbladder. Studies also
have suggested that obesity raises the risk of cancers of the liver, pancreas,
rectum and esophagus.
A person becomes obese through a complex mix of genes, lifestyle choices and
other factors. For this reason, researchers may not be able to tell whether cancer
developed because of a patient’s obesity or something else, such as an
unhealthy diet or lack of exercise.
More research is needed on the link between obesity and cancer. The National
Cancer Institute is supporting studies on the combined effects of body weight,
diet and exercise on cancer risk.
Meanwhile, the NCI recommends that people eat a healthful diet, maintain a healthy
weight, and get regular exercise to prevent cancer and other diseases.
Eating less fat
Q: I want to eat less fat. Can you help me get started?
Tips for cutting back
• Garnish vegetables and
salads with lemon juice, herbs, green onions, salsa and nonfat or low-fat dressings.
• Use nonfat
or low-fat spreads, such as jelly or jam, apple butter, mustard
and nonfat or low-fat margarine and mayonnaise
• Top baked
potatoes with salsa or nonfat or low-fat varieties of yogurt, sour
cream, cottage cheese, hard cheese or margarine
• If you choose
high-fat toppings, limit the amount to one tablespoon or less.
• Switch to
one percent milk or skim milk
• Trim fat
from meat and remove skin from poultry before cooking and use low-fat
cooking methods, such as baking, poaching, or broiling
• Choose lower
fat lunch meats, such as turkey, chicken, lean ham or lean beef
• Limit fatty
meats, nuts, peanut butter, sauces, ice cream, potato chips, donuts
and cakes and eat fruits and vegetables instead
For more information and free brochures on low-fat eating, call the Cancer Information
Service at 1-800-4-CANCER.
The National Cancer Institute’s Cancer
Information Service (CIS) is one of the country’s most trusted
resources. “Ask the CIS” is distributed by the Cancer
Information Service of Hawai‘i (CIS-HI), which serves
Hawai‘i and the U.S. Pacific Territories in cooperation with
the University of Hawai‘i
Cancer Research Center of Hawai‘i. Call the CIS toll-free
at 1-800-4-CANCER between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Hawai‘i time.
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