A new study published in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute has found that waist circumference is a stronger risk marker than body mass index (BMI) for developing obesity-related cancers in men, but not women. Researchers at Lund University analyzed data from over 339,000 individuals and discovered that a one-inch increase in waist circumference was associated with a 25% higher risk of obesity-related cancers in men. However, among women, the association between waist circumference and cancer risk was weaker, suggesting sex-specific differences in how body fat affects cancer development.
The study, which has been peer-reviewed and fact-checked, used data from Swedish health assessments conducted between 1981 and 2019 to compare the relative risks of obesity-related cancers associated with BMI and waist circumference. The researchers adjusted for measurement errors and calculated relative risks per 1-standard deviation increase in both measures to ensure a fair comparison.
The findings highlight the importance of considering biological and physiological differences between sexes when assessing cancer risk. The study’s authors suggest that waist circumference may provide additional risk information beyond that conveyed by BMI, particularly in men. However, further research is needed to explore these sex differences and to develop more precise measures of adiposity.
Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-waist-circumference-outshines-bmi-obesity.html