Obesity adds to breast cancer risk

Breast cancer, the second most common cancer in the world, is the most common among women. It has been reported that nearly 40 per cent of all cancer occurrences in men, and 60 per cent in women, is diet-related.

Besides well-established reproductive risk factors such as age at menarche, parity (number of children), age at birth and breastfeeding, several other diet and lifestyle factors have now been identified.

In fact, age at menarche is strongly determined by dietary factors. Restricted dietary intake during childhood and adolescence delays menarche while high caloric intake and obesity may result in early menarche.

Research has identified many constituents in food which cause, promote and protect one from breast cancer. These include types of fat, meat, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, fiber and phyto-estrogens. While, there are several dietary causes, the most important risk factors, which are not so well known include obesity, alcohol and lack of physical activity.

The impact of obesity and lack of physical activity as independent risk factors in causing and promoting breast cancer has recently been established.

Obesity increases breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women by about 50 per cent. Not only high body mass index (BMI), but also central obesity, ie high waist circumference, increases the risk towards developing breast cancer in pre-menopausal women. Upper body obesity and the related metabolic disorder, type 2 diabetes have been identified as risk factors for breast cancer, and associated with late-stage disease and a poor prognosis. Components of the metabolic syndrome, including visceral adiposity (central obesity), insulin resistance, hyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels) and high insulin levels, have all been related to increased breast cancer risk.

Interestingly, a recent study has shown that increased hip circumference has also been found to positively correlate with increased risk of breast cancer among pre-menopausal women. A recent French study (2011) done on about 63,726 pre-menopausal women reported that the risk of breast cancer increased with increasing weight, body mass index, and both increased hip and waist circumference.

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