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Cancer warning for obese women

07/11/2007

About five per cent of all cancers in middle-aged and older women are caused by being obese or overweight, new research has revealed.

This amounts to 6,000 cancers each year that could be reduced if women led healthier lifestyles.

Researchers at Oxford University found that half of all cases of womb cancer and a type of oesophageal cancer in women are caused by serious excess weight.

The findings emerged from the largest study ever undertaken on women and cancer risk.

Over one million UK women were studied during seven years; in that time more than 45,000 cases of cancer and 17,000 cancer deaths occurred.

"Our research also shows that being overweight has a much bigger impact on the risk of some cancers than others," said study researcher Dr Gillian Reeves, Cancer Research UK epidemiologist.

"Two-thirds of the additional 6,000 cancers each year due to overweight or obesity would be cancers of the womb or breast."

Stage of life in relation to weight was also found to be important. Being overweight increases the risk of cancer only after menopause and bowel cancer only before the menopause, the study revealed.

"While most people readily associate carrying extra weight with being a general health risk, many do not make a specific link with cancer," said Sara Hiom, director of Cancer Research UK's health information.

"These findings need to be taken into consideration alongside the established strong relationships between body fatness and other common illnesses such as diabetes and heart attacks."

The study follows major research published last week which said that people should stay slim and keep fit to reduce their risk of cancer.