Cancer Risk Goes Up with Body Weight

UK researchers¹ have reviewed 140 studies evaluating body mass index (obesity) and the risk for cancer. They found that as body weight goes up, cancer risk goes up. The incidences of various types of cancer were directly linked to progressive obesity. In men, this relationship was particularly strong for throat/esophagus, thyroid, colon, and kidney cancer. In women the relationship was pronounced for uterine/endometrial, gallbladder, throat, and kidney cancer. Many other types of cancer were also linked to obesity.

In my 2002 release of Mastering Leptin I explained how gene signals change as a result of obesity, creating an inflammatory scenario that would obviously produce cancer. My observations are now confirmed by these findings. Since this time considerably more information has become available, including the imbalance of leptin with adiponectin – two hormones that come from fat. Eating in harmony with leptin is a primary health focus for many reasons.