Research compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control have found that being overweight and/or obese are linked to at least 13 different kinds of cancer. The study looked at cancers in U.S. adults age 50-74 and found a startling divide. From 2005-2014, cancers associated with being overweight or obese rose 7% while those not associated with those conditions experienced a 13% drop.
Two out of three adults are overweight, according to the CDC, and the study found more than 630,000 Americans diagnosed with a cancer associated with overweight and obesity. And for financial professionals who work with clients struggling with weight and health issues, here's an opportunity for discussion. According to the CDC, education can play a key role in better health and more than half of Americans don't know that being overweight or obese can increase their risk for cancer.
"A majority of American adults weigh more than recommended – and being overweight or obese puts people at higher risk for a number of cancers – so these findings are a cause for concern," said Brenda Fitzgerald, Director, CDC. "By getting to and keeping a healthy weight, we all can play a role in cancer prevention."
The thirteen cancers associated with excess weight include: meningioma, thyroid, breast, liver, gallbladder, upper stomach, pancreas, colon and rectum, ovaries, uterus, kidneys, multiple myeloma, and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.
