Being overweight or obese could have more impact on your cancer risk than previously thought.

Researchers at the German Cancer Center (DKFZ) say more than 10 percent of all cancer cases can be attributed to increased body weight. This is nearly twice the previous estimate.

Most studies on the link between cancer and obesity used body mass index (BMI), calculated using height and weight. But that calculation doesn’t distinguish between fat and muscle. It also can’t tell where in the body the fat has accumulated.

That matters because abdominal fat is closely linked to inflammation and other cancer-promoting mechanisms.

The DKFZ study added waist circumference and waist-hip ratio to the mix, and the results point to significantly higher numbers for cancer cases attributed to obesity.

“Since the prevalence of obesity continues to rise in most countries and the population is aging at the same time, the number of cancer cases caused by obesity is likely to continue to rise significantly in the future,” says researcher Hermann Brenner. “Effective strategies for the prevention and treatment of obesity could therefore make a much greater contribution to cancer prevention than previously assumed.”

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