This is the conclusion reached by Swedish researchers who analyzed health data on more than a million 18-year-old men. The link between excess weight and cancer has been found in almost every organ. Long-term observations have shown that overweight men are also much more likely to die of cancer.
The researchers worked with data from nearly 1.5 million men who were drafted into military service at the age of 18. It turned out that a higher body mass index (BMI) increases the risk of 17 types of cancer. In addition, BMI was a more serious cancer risk factor than poor physical fitness in men, according to the University of Gothenburg website.
A high BMI increased the risk of lung, head and neck, brain, thyroid, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, colon, rectum, kidney, and bladder cancers, as well as malignant melanoma, leukemia, myeloma, and lymphoma.
It is noteworthy that for some types of cancer, the risk increased already at a BMI of 20-24.4. These include: head and neck, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, kidney, melanoma, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The normal range is 18.4-24.9. The highest risks were observed for abdominal cancer, including esophageal, stomach, and kidney cancer. High BMI increased the likelihood of developing these types of tumors by 3-4 times. For example, in Sweden, being overweight can explain about 15-25% of cases of these types of cancer, according to the authors.
In the long term, overweight men were 2-3 times more likely to die of skin cancer, lymphoma, thyroid and prostate cancer, and 1.5-2 times more likely to die of head and neck, colorectal and kidney cancer.
Researchers expect an increase in the prevalence of cancer in the coming years. Recognizing this trend, they emphasize the urgent need for preventive measures to combat obesity.
