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Feb. 4, 2019

Cancer prevention: Why body shape may matter more than weight

Study finds weight around the midsection better indicator of cancer risk than overall body size
A study published in Nature Communications in January finds that excess weight around the midsection appears to be a stronger predictor of all-cancer risk than body size. Flickr photo by bradhoc, licensed under Creative Commons
A study published in Nature Communications in January finds that excess weight around the midsection

Nearly half of Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetime, and although the mortality rate in Canada continues to decline, one in four will die from the disease.

But the news isn鈥檛 all bad. More and more, researchers are using big data to uncover modifiable risk factors for developing cancer, giving people practical information and tools to lower their cancer risk.

A new study published in听that followed thousands of Albertans over a span of nearly a decade found that when it comes to weight, what matters most may not be the number on the scale, but where it is distributed 鈥斕齭pecifically, the midsection.

鈥淲e know that having a higher body mass index 鈥斕齩r BMI 鈥斕齣s associated with a higher cancer risk, but our study found that waist circumference is an even stronger predictor,鈥 says Dr. Darren Brenner, PhD, lead investigator on the study and a member of the听听and the听听at the听. 鈥淲hat this suggests is that carrying weight around the waist is a stronger risk factor for cancer than just having an all-around larger body size.鈥

The researchers followed 27,000 adults involved in听, a longitudinal study tracking the health of 55,000 adults in Western Canada. Over the nine years that the participants were tracked, waist circumference was a stronger predictor of developing several cancers including colon, endometrial and hematological, over BMI alone.

Carrying weight around the waist generally indicates having higher levels of stored fat, which wreaks havoc on several of the body鈥檚 systems including managing inflammation, blood sugar levels and hormone levels, says Brenner, who is also an assistant professor in the departments of听听and听community health sciences. This all has an impact at the cellular level, eventually leading to cancer development and progression.

Darren Brenner studies cancer risk in the Canadian population and how it relates to body shape and size.

Darren Brenner studies cancer risk in Canadians and how it relates to body shape and size.

Darren Brenner

Taking positive steps toward cancer prevention

鈥淵ou can literally use someone鈥檚 waist size as a general measuring stick of their cancer risk, along with other factors of course,鈥 says Brenner. 鈥淏ut the important takeaway here is that wherever you are on that scale, it鈥檚 possible to reduce your risk. Waist circumference is easy to measure and track over time 鈥斕齭o, if you work to reduce it, you鈥檙e taking positive steps towards cancer prevention.鈥

While reaching and maintaining a healthy weight is one of the best things you can do for your overall health and to lower your cancer risk, Brenner acknowledges that getting there can be a major challenge in our busy lives.

Individuals can start small 鈥斕齠ocusing on achievable goals like standing up more throughout the day 鈥斕齜ut Brenner says this is an issue that needs government attention as well.

鈥淢ultifaceted interventions are needed for this multifaceted problem. Targeting change at a broad range of points is needed, which could include neighbourhood design, transportation, workplace health, school-based programs, and food availability,鈥 he says.

And effective interventions require good data.

The Canadian Population Attributable Risk of Cancer (ComPARe) project is working to estimate the number of cancer cases in Canada, now and projected to 2042, that could be prevented with targeted interventions for cancer risk factors including smoking, poor diet, infectious diseases, hormonal therapies and environmental factors such as air pollution and residential radon.

Brenner, who is part of a Canada-wide group of researchers working on the project, says their findings are important for future cancer prevention and control research, developing health promotion programs, and advocating for and implementing new policies aimed at decreasing the burden of cancer in Canada.

鈥淎t the end of the day, we want to provide policy-makers with good information to implement programs that would help move the metrics of these risk factors for cancer in Canada,鈥 he says.听