Health
Men face higher cancer risk with this specific body fat measurement
Obesity has long been established as a risk factor for cancer, particularly when it’s stored in certain areas of the body.
Now, new research suggests that a larger waist circumference is a bigger risk factor than body mass index (BMI) for obesity-related cancers — but only for men, not for women.
The findings, which were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, will be presented in May at the European Congress on Obesity in Malaga, Spain.
BMI IS WRONG WAY TO MEASURE OBESITY, RESEARCHERS SAY
The study was led by Dr. Ming Sun, Dr. Josef Fritz and Dr. Tanja Stocks from Lund University in Sweden.
New research suggests that a larger waist circumference is a bigger risk factor than body mass index for obesity-related cancers — but only for men, not for women. (iStock)
The researchers analyzed data from 340,000 Swedish people averaging 51 years of age whose BMI and waist circumference assessments were performed between 1981 and 2019, according to a press release.
They then compared those statistics to cancer diagnoses pulled from the Swedish Cancer Register.
‘HIDDEN’ FAT COULD PREDICT ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE UP TO 20 YEARS BEFORE SYMPTOMS, RESEARCH FINDS
Over a period of 14 years, there were 18,185 diagnoses of obesity-related cancers among the patients in the study.
For men, an increase in waist circumference of around 11 cm resulted in a 25% higher risk of obesity-related cancer.
This was a bigger risk factor than having an increased BMI, which increased the chances by 19%.
For men, an increase in waist circumference of around 11 cm resulted in a 25% higher risk of obesity-related cancer. (iStock)
For women, an increase of about 12 cm in waist circumference and an increase in BMI were both linked to a 13% greater cancer risk, the study found.
Obesity-related cancers include cancers of the oesophagus (adenocarcinoma), gastric (cardia), colon, rectum, liver/intrahepatic bile ducts, gallbladder, pancreas, breast (postmenopausal), endometrium, ovary, renal cell carcinoma, meningioma, thyroid and multiple myeloma, the release stated.
“BMI is a measure of body size, but does not provide information on fat distribution, whereas waist circumference is a proxy more closely related to abdominal adiposity.”
Overall, the researchers found waist circumference to be a more accurate cancer predictor than BMI.
“BMI is a measure of body size, but does not provide information on fat distribution, whereas waist circumference is a proxy more closely related to abdominal adiposity,” they wrote.
“This distinction is crucial because visceral fat, which accumulates around the abdominal organs, is more metabolically active and has been implicated in adverse health outcomes, including insulin resistance, inflammation and abnormal blood fat levels. Consequently, individuals with similar BMIs may have distinct cancer risks due to differences in fat distribution.”
Why the difference between men and women?
One potential reason for the gender discrepancy, according to the researchers, is that men are more likely to store fat viscerally (in the belly), while women generally accumulate more subcutaneous fat (under the skin) and peripheral fat (in the arms and legs).
ALZHEIMER’S AND PARKINSON’S RISK IS HIGHER FOR PEOPLE WITH BODY FAT IN TWO SPECIFIC AREAS
“Consequently, waist circumference is a more accurate measure of visceral fat in men than in women,” the researchers wrote.
“This may make waist circumference a stronger risk factor of cancer in men, and explain why waist circumference adds risk information beyond that conveyed by BMI in men, but not women.”
The researchers suggested that combining hip circumference with waist circumference in women could give a more accurate estimation of visceral fat. (iStock)
Excess body fat is also linked to higher insulin levels in men than in women, the researchers noted, which could be a factor in waist circumference being more strongly linked to men’s cancer risk.
“The divergence in how waist circumference and BMI relate to cancer risk between men and women underscores the complexity of the impact of adiposity (excess body fat) on cancer development,” the researchers wrote.
“It suggests that considering biological and physiological differences between the sexes might be helpful when assessing cancer risk. Further research is needed to explore these sex differences.”
They also suggested that combining hip circumference with waist circumference in women could give a more accurate estimation of visceral fat.
“Waist circumference is a more accurate measure of visceral fat in men than in women,” the researchers wrote. (iStock)
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, was not involved in the study, but reinforced that BMI is a “good indicator of obesity, but is not the only one.”
“Belly fat contains a lot of the inflammatory chemicals that act as carcinogens.”
“Obesity leads to inflammation, and inflammation correlates with many kinds of cancer, including breast and prostate and cancers of the gastrointestinal tract,” he told Fox News Digital.
“It is not surprising that waist circumference in men could be a more precise indicator if measured properly, because belly fat contains a lot of the inflammatory chemicals that act as carcinogens,” the doctor noted.
Obesity-related cancers include cancers of the oesophagus (adenocarcinoma), gastric (cardia), colon, rectum, liver/intrahepatic bile ducts, gallbladder, pancreas, breast (postmenopausal), endometrium, ovary, renal cell carcinoma, meningioma, thyroid and multiple myeloma. (American Cancer Society/Getty Images)
For women, where fat distribution is somewhat different, Siegel agrees that it “makes sense” to consider both waist and hip circumference, as the Swedish study suggests.
“The study looks at over 300,000 people and is an important new reference, but it is observational, so it shows an association, but not proof,” the doctor added.
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Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurosurgeon and longevity expert, also detailed the different ways in which men and women store fat.
“While women accumulate more subcutaneous fat — on the hips, thighs and buttocks — men pack it around the waist, deep inside the abdomen,” Osborn, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
“This is visceral fat, and it’s metabolically toxic. It’s not just sitting there. It’s active, like a gland, secreting inflammatory chemicals (cytokines), raising insulin levels, disrupting hormones and laying the groundwork for cancer cell growth.”
Strength training three times per week is ideal, one doctor advised, adding, “Resistance training reduces visceral fat and inflammation.” (iStock)
Osborn reiterated that BMI is limited in its ability to accurately measure excess fat.
“First, BMI doesn’t factor in muscle mass, so a short, stocky individual with a low body fat percentage may be categorized as overweight or obese, when in fact quite the opposite is true,” he said.
“Second, BMI doesn’t tell you where the body fat is, and as it turns out, that’s what’s critical — at least in men.”
Minimizing risk
To reduce cancer risk, Osborn recommends that men measure their waistlines to ensure they’re in a healthy range. People can also track their visceral fat score on a medical-grade anthropometry scale, he said.
“Understand that belly fat isn’t just cosmetic — it’s carcinogenic.”
“Anything above 40 inches (102 cm) is a red flag,” he told Fox News Digital.
Strength training three times per week is ideal, the doctor advised, adding, “Resistance training reduces visceral fat and inflammation.”
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Proper nutrition is also important, he said. “Eat like your life depends on it — because it does. Stop feeding your cancer risk.”
“Understand that belly fat isn’t just cosmetic — it’s carcinogenic,” Osborn added. “You may not feel it now, but the clock is ticking. Visceral fat is silent, aggressive and deadly — and it’s doing damage even if your BMI is ‘normal.’”
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
HOW LONG YOU’RE CONTAGIOUS WITH THE FLU — AND WHEN IT’S SAFE TO GO OUT
The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
FREQUENT HEARTBURN MAY BE A WARNING SIGN OF A MORE DANGEROUS CONDITION, DOCTOR SAYS
The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
BACTERIA IN YOUR MOUTH MAY TRAVEL TO THE GUT AND TRIGGER STOMACH CANCER, RESEARCH FINDS
After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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