New Study Reveals Obesity as a Greater Cancer Risk Than Previously Thought
A study led by Hermann Brenner from the German Cancer Research Center has found that obesity may be responsible for more cancer cases than previously estimated. The research suggests that up to 11.5% of cancers could be attributed to being overweight, a significant increase from earlier estimates of 2% to 8%. The study highlights abdominal fat as a particular risk factor, especially for women, due to its role in hormone-dependent cancers like breast, uterine, and ovarian cancers. The research utilized data from the UK Biobank, focusing on waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio rather than just BMI, to better understand the link between obesity and cancer.