Waist Circumference: A Better Cancer Risk Indicator Than BMI in Men, Says Study

A new study conducted by researchers at Lund University indicates that waist circumference (WC) might be a more reliable risk marker for obesity-related cancers in men compared to the traditional body mass index (BMI). The study analyzed health data from 339,190 individuals between 1981 and 2019 and found that increased abdominal fat, as measured by waist size, could significantly raise a man's cancer risk. An extra 4-inch increase in waist size heightened the cancer risk by 25%, whereas a BMI increase of 3.7 only upped it by 19%. Interestingly, the same correlation was not as pronounced in women, suggesting differences in fat distribution patterns between genders. While men tend to store more visceral fat, which is metabolically more active, women often have more evenly distributed body fat. This visceral fat is thought to be linked to several health conditions, including cancer. The researchers propose that adding hip circumference to models could further elucidate gender differences in obesity-related cancer risks. The European Congress on Obesity recently discussed these findings, underlining the potential for waist measurements to offer additional risk information beyond BMI. However, it remains crucial for individuals to seek professional medical advice tailored to their personal circumstances.