Our Obesity Prevention Campaign is based on research into obesity and cancer. By promoting our findings, we're hoping to reduce the number of people who develop cancer in our community.
The research shows that a waistline of over 100 cm for men, and 85 cm for women, significantly increases the risk of some cancers.The strongest associations were for:
Moderate associations were found for:
By raising awareness of the proven links between waist measurement and cancer risk, we are encouraging you to maintain or develop, a healthy lifestyle that will help you reduce your risk of cancer.
Although evidence has been mounting that obesity may be related to the increased incidence of various cancers, many of these reports have relied on imperfect measures of obesity such as body mass index (BMI). It is uncertain whether these relationships are due to overall fat, or the distribution of fat, such as that found around a person's middle.
This is the first time Australian research has indicated significant links between waist circumference and increased risk for some cancers.
The waistline measure is a better indication of fat distribution than BMI, which doesn't provide an accurate measure of fat versus muscle mass. A waistline measurement provides a more accurate indication of fat, rather than muscle tissue.
There are a number of possibilities. For example, obese people have high levels of insulin which may directly or indirectly cause cells to grow and divide. Obesity also alters the levels of some hormones such as oestrogen, which may also cause cells to grow and divide, resulting in cancer.
Waist measurement at any age is an important indicator of future cancer risk.
We acknowledge there will be some variation in results where studies are based on large and diverse members of the population.
In this instance, while a large waistline may not always be an indication of poor lifestyle such as little physical activity and/or unhealthy eating, it is nevertheless a good indication for cancer risk that individuals should consider.
If you are concerned that your waist size may indicate you are overweight or obese, you should consult your doctor.
Because the research on obesity and cancer has mostly been done in populations of European origin, we cannot be certain that the findings are relevant to other populations. However, we think that they probably are.
The Cancer Council recommends eating a healthy diet and undertaking regular physical activity. We do not recommend fad diets or weight loss programs that you can't sustain as part of your normal lifestyle.
We do not recommend undertaking a new physical activity program without having a professional assess your current health.
Contact your doctor so that you can be referred to the appropriate specialist, such as a dietitian or fitness expert, if required.
For more information, read our exercise and healthy eating pages, or order an Obesity Prevention Information Pack online.
Links between individual food items and risk of cancer are generally weaker than links between obesity and risk of cancer. Present evidence suggests that the total energy people eat (calories or kilojoules), together with their level of physical activity, is more important in determining their risk than the composition of their diet. The simple message is eat less, move more.
