Face fats

| 2 June 2008
minute reading time

New research published in the Lancet shows that gaining weight can dramatically increase the risk of several different cancers. Weight gain in men increased their risk of cancers of the colon, kidney, thyroid and oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Their chances of developing rectal cancer and malignant melanoma also rose. Weight gain in women increased the risk of endometrial, gallbladder, oesophageal adenocarcinoma and kidney cancer. The risk of women getting post-menopausal breast, pancreatic, thyroid, and colon cancers also rose. The risk of leukaemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma rose in both sexes.

Renehan AG, Tyson M, Egger M, Heller RF, Zwahlen M. 2008. Body-mass index and incidence of cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective observational studies. Lancet. 371 (9612) 569-578.

About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
I joined Viva! as a health campaigner in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. My scientific training helped me research and write numerous reports, guides and fact sheets for Viva! including Meat the Truth, Fish-Free for Life, One in Nine (breast cancer and diet) and the substantial report on the detrimental health effects of consuming dairy; White Lies. This accompanied Viva!’s report The Dark Side of Dairy which spelt out the inherent cruelty of dairy farming. We were the first UK group to take on the dairy industry in this way, and many of our supporters go vegan after reading these reports.

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