According to a study published in JAMA Oncology more than seven percent of cancer cases in the United States are attributable to excess body weight (EBW).
This nationwide study of US adults found that the proportion of cancers attributable to obesity ranges from 3.9% to 6.0% among men and from 7.1% to 11.4% among women, with the highest proportions found in several Southern and Μidwestern states, Alaska, and the District of Columbia.
Each year, an estimated 37 670 cancer cases in men (4.7%) of all cancers excluding non-melanoma skin cancers and 74 690 cancer cases in women (9.6%) 30 years or older in the United States were attributable to EBW.
The researchers concluded that the number of cancers attributable to obesity varies among states, but EBW accounts for at least 1 in 17 of all incident cancers in each state.
