Research
Energy balance
Energy restriction and reduced growth rates (indicated by shorter stature) are strongly associated with reduced breast cancer incidence, whereas total dietary fat intake is not significantly associated with breast cancer risk in prospective studies.
Focus on maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding excessive energy intake, especially during growth and development, as these factors are strongly linked to reduced breast cancer risk. Reducing total dietary fat alone is not supported by prospective data as a primary prevention strategy.
GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
In contrast to dietary fat, the evidence is strong that energy restriction and reduced growth rates reduce breast cancer incidence... The prospective studies on fat and breast cancer... seem to be providing a different answer... there is little suggestion of a positive association between total fat intake and breast cancer in the prospective data.
Why this rating
Strong international correlations, animal models, and prospective human studies support energy restriction, while prospective studies consistently negate fat association.
Source
Diet, nutrition, and avoidable cancer.
W C Willett · Environmental Health Perspectives · 1995
DOI 10.1289/ehp.95103s8165
narrative_reviewCited 366×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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