Weight Associated with Cancer Risk

Increased body weight boosts one’s risk for developing several types of cancer, according to a new study published in the Lancet. Researchers analyzed the medical records of 5.24 million patients in the U.K. Of the 22 cancers assessed, 17 were positively associated with a higher body mass index (BMI, a measure of weight adjusted for height). For example, as BMI increased, so did one’s risk for cancers of the uterus, gallbladder, kidney, cervix, thyroid, liver, colon, and ovary, among others. Read more about the precautionary principle to cancer prevention here.