Being diagnosed with cancer is surely a universal fear. And although there is no guaranteed way to prevent the disease, there are things you can do to lower your risk.
In fact, it is believed that about 40% of all cancers diagnosed in the U.S. are the result of lifestyle factors that can be modified, according to the American Association for Cancer Research.
Recently, the organization identified the top seven modifiable cancer risks, and one of them might come as a big surprise to many people.
Excess body weight is the second-biggest modifiable cancer risk, behind only cigarette smoking.
Why does carrying extra weight put you at higher risk of cancer? Experts have suggested several possible reasons, according to the National Cancer Institute.
For example, fat tissue produces higher levels of estrogen, which is linked to a higher risk of cancer. Obese people also have high levels of insulin, which has been tied to a higher cancer risk. Chronic inflammation is a hallmark of obesity, and inflammation promotes tumor growth.
For these reasons and others, being overweight or obese raises your risk of cancer. The American Association for Cancer Research says carrying too much weight is especially associated with the following types of cancer:
- The adenocarcinoma subtype of esophageal cancer
- Certain types of head and neck cancer
- Advanced prostate cancer
- Meningioma, a low-grade brain tumor
- Multiple myeloma
- Colon cancer
- Rectal cancer
- Endometrial cancer
- Gallbladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Stomach cancer
- Thyroid cancer
- Postmenopausal breast cancer
Eating a better diet and becoming physically active can help you shed pounds, which in turn should lower your cancer risk.
To maintain a healthy weight, the American Association of Cancer Research recommends eating at least 30 grams of fiber and 400 grams — or just under 1 pound — of fruits and vegetables each day.
In addition, you should limit consumption of fast food, red meat and processed meats. When it comes to beverages, limit your intake of alcohol and sugar-sweetened drinks.
All these moves should boost your odds of maintaining a healthy weight and lowering your cancer risk.
Of course, avoiding smoking is still the best way to cut your cancer risk. Here are the top seven modifiable cancer risks and the percentage of cancer cases in adults over the age of 30 that have been attributed to each factor:
- Cigarette smoking: 19.3%
- Excess body weight: 7.6%
- Alcohol consumption: 5.4%
- Ultraviolet radiation exposure: 4.6%
- Poor diet: 4.2%
- Pathogenic infections: 3.8%
- Physical inactivity: 3.1%
For more on lowering your cancer risk, check out “7 Things You Can (and Should) Do Right Now to Avoid Cancer.”
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