World Health Organization Links 8 More Cancer Types to Excess Weight

By Stacy SimonThe International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, has added 8 types of cancer to those it had previously linked to being overweight or obese. The newly linked cancer types are: stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreatic, ovarian, thyroid, multiple myeloma, and meningioma (a tumor of the lining over the brain and spinal cord).IARC also confirmed its previous conclusions, that excess weight is a risk factor for cancers of the esophagus, colon and rectum, breast (in postmenopausal women), kidney, and endometrium. IARC also said being overweight or obese may raise the risk of breast cancer in men, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and fatal prostate cancer.A summary of the findings is being published August 25, 2016 in The New England Journal of Medicine.BMI and cancer riskTo assess the link between cancer risk and weight, 21 international experts looked at more than 1,000 studies. Most of the studies used body mass index (BMI) to define whether people were overweight or obese.BMI is a number based on your weight and height. In general, the higher the number, the more body fat a person has. You are considered to be overweight if your BMI is 25 or higher. You are considered to be obese if your BMI is 30 or higher. You can figure out your BMI using an online calculator.In 2013, an estimated 4.5 million deaths worldwide were caused by overweight and obesity, according to IARC. The identification of new weight-related cancer types ...
Source: American Cancer Society :: News and Features - Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Diet/Exercise/Weight Source Type: news