Does Obesity Increase the Risk of Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer found in women. The major causes of breast cancer are obesity and overweight.

The effect of obesity on breast cancer risk is based on a woman's menopausal status. Before the end of menstrual cycle, obese women are less exposed to breast cancer than women of a medium weight. Anyway, after menopause, obese women have 1.5 times the risk of women of a healthy weight.

Obese women are also at high risk of dying from breast cancer after menopause compared with bony women. Obese women have higher amounts of estrogen in their body. Estrogen levels in postmenopausal women are 50 to 100 percent higher among heavy compared to lean women. This makes the estrogen-sensitive tissues exposed to more estrogen stimulation in heavy women, which causes a more rapid growth of estrogen-responsive breast tumors.

Another factor related to the higher breast cancer death rates in heavy women is that breast cancer is more likely to be detected at a later stage in obese women than in lean women.
The distribution of body fat may also affect breast cancer risk.

Executive summary about obesity and breast cancer by Tim Barton

Weight Loss, Diet, and the Risk of Breast Cancer

Let's start by taking a look at risk factors for breast cancer in general.
Men can get breast cancer as well. Additionally, some medications can increase the risk of breast cancer in men. Statistically, women are more likely to get breast cancer than men.

Heredity: Unfortunately, if there is a family history of breast cancer in your family, you are at a higher risk.
Age: Another unfortunate fact is that as you age, your risk for breast cancer increases.
Alcohol: The risk seems to increase with an increase in alcohol consumption
Weight: Being overweight can increase your risk.
You can control your weight and you can increase your health, and decrease your risk for breast cancer, by exercise and nutrition.

WEIGHT LOSS:
Simply, estrogen is made in fat, and higher estrogen levels increase risk of breast cancer.

EXERCISE:
Of course, a weight loss regimen, including a regular exercise program, can help control estrogen producing fat.

Executive summary about obesity and breast cancer by Donovan Baldwin