Links Between Weight and Cancer (by by World Cancer Research Fund, WCRF UK)

WCRF UK recommends being as lean as possible without becoming underweight.

Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk of cancer. Aim to be at the lower end of the healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) range.

Maintaining a healthy weight brings a range of health benefits. As well as making us feel better, it also means that we are less likely to develop not only cancer, but also other chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

What is a healthy weight?

One of the easiest ways to check if you’re a healthy weight is by measuring your Body Mass Index (BMI), which is a useful guide for most adults.

A healthy BMI for both men and women is between 18.5-24.9. For cancer prevention, we should aim for the lower end of this range.

We also know that where we store extra weight affects cancer risk. Scientists have discovered that carrying excess fat around our waists can be particularly harmful – it acts like a ‘hormone pump’ releasing oestrogen into the bloodstream, as well as raising levels of other hormones in the body.

This is strongly linked to bowel cancer and probably linked to cancers of the pancreas and endometrium (womb), as well as to breast cancer (in postmenopausal women).

Find out about our other Recommendations for Cancer Prevention

How can you help WCRF UK?

Information source:http://www.wcrf-uk.org/preventing_cancer/recommendations/weight_and_cancer.php