Half a million new cancers in 2012 due to overweight and obesity

A new study shows that nearly half a million new cancer cases per year can be attributed to high body mass index (BMI).

A new study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization (WHO), shows that nearly half a million new cancer cases per year can be attributed to high body mass index (BMI)(1). The study used the GLOBOCAN 2012 dataset, which includes data from the National Cancer Registry Ireland. Published yesterday in The Lancet Oncology, the study highlights that overweight and obesity (2) have become a major risk factor, responsible for an estimated 3.6% (481,000) of all new cancer cases in 2012.

Striking global disparities

Global analysis shows that cancer due to overweight and obesity is currently far more common in more developed countries (393 000 cases, 5.2% of all new cancer cases in these countries) than in less developed countries (88 000 cases, 1.5% of all new cancer cases in these countries). North America remains the most affected, with an estimated 111 000 obesity-related cancers in 2012, accounting for 23% of the total global cancer burden linked to high BMI.

In Europe, the proportion of cancers due to overweight and obesity is also large, particularly in eastern Europe (65 000 cases, 6.5% of all new cancer cases in the region).

“These worrying results highlight that it’s crucial to maintain a healthy weight to prevent so many common cancers,” says Dr Kate Allen, Executive Director of Science and Public Affairs at World Cancer Research Fund International, which funded the project.

Reducing overweight and obesity at the population level could have significant health benefits, including reducing the burden of cancer. The study also shows that one quarter of all cancers attributable to overweight and obesity worldwide (118 000 cases) could have been prevented if populations had simply maintained their average BMI of 30 years ago.

Notes

(1) BMI is a measure of body fat, calculated by dividing the weight in kilograms by the square of the height in metres.

(2) WHO defines overweight as a BMI greater than or equal to 25 kg/m2, and obesity as a BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2.

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