Research
Hormonal
Obesity causes approximately 20% of all cancer cases, with specific mechanisms varying by cancer site (e.g., estrogen for breast/endometrial, insulin for colon/prostate, inflammation for others).
Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most significant actions you can take to reduce your risk of developing many common cancers. While the biological mechanisms vary (hormones, insulin, inflammation), the common denominator is excess body fat. Weight management strategies that reduce adiposity can lower cancer risk across multiple types.
StrongSupportsHIGH confidence
Overall, we estimate that overweight and obesity cause approximately 20% of all cancer cases.
Why this rating
Based on systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and IARC evaluations cited in the paper.
Source
Obesity and Cancer
Kathleen Y. Wolin et al. · The Oncologist · 2010
DOI 10.1634/theoncologist.2009-0285
narrative_reviewCited 749×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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