Waist size in men better predicts cancer risk than BMI

A study from Lund University suggests that waist size in men is a better predictor of cancer risk than body mass index (BMI). Researchers discovered that an increase of four inches in waist size raises the risk of cancer by 25 percent. The study reviewed health records from over 339,000 people between 1981 and 2019. During the 14-year follow-up, around 18,185 participants developed obesity-related cancers, such as those of the bowel, liver, and breast. While assessing the findings, researchers considered factors like smoking and age. Waist size is important because it indicates how much fat is stored around vital organs. In contrast, BMI does not show where fat is located in the body. The analysis revealed that increases in waist size present a higher cancer risk than BMI changes. For men, an increase of 12 cm in waist size combined with a BMI increase of 4.3 leads to a 13 percent greater risk of cancer. Women also showed similar trends, but the impact of waist size was less pronounced for them. The research highlights that men typically accumulate more fat around the abdomen, making waist size a more effective measure for assessing cancer risk in this group. The study suggests that understanding fat distribution could help in evaluating health risks more accurately.