Family Encyclopedia >> Health

Obesity is a major cause of cancer

Obesity is a major cause of cancer

Over the next decade, obesity could become the leading cause of cancer in women. This is the conclusion of an extensive study into cancer cases due to obesity in Europe.

More than 124,000 overweight Europeans got cancer last year. Most cases occurred in women in Central European countries such as the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Slovenia and Bulgaria. They suffered from cervical cancer, breast cancer or cancer around the rectum.

The results were announced on Thursday at a cancer conference in Berlin. The study was led by Andrew Renehan of Cardiff University. According to Renehan obesity could become the leading cause of cancer in women in the next ten years.