Skip directly to search Skip directly to A to Z list Skip directly to navigation Skip directly to page options Skip directly to site content

Cancer and Obesity

Overweight and obesity are linked to cancer.

Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk of 13 types of cancer. These cancers account for about 40 percent of all cancers diagnosed in the United States in 2014. Overall, the rate of new cancer cases has decreased since the 1990s, but increases in overweight and obesity-related cancers are likely slowing this progress. The rates of obesity-related cancers, not including colorectal cancer, increased by 7 percent between 2005 and 2014. The rates of non-obesity related cancers declined during that time.

More than half of Americans who are overweight or obese can increase their risk for cancer. Many things are associated with cancer, but avoiding tobacco and maintaining a healthy weight are among the most important things people can do to lower their risk of getting cancer. Some states and communities are providing support that can help people get to and keep a healthy weight.

  • The photograph shows a women with her shopping basket filled with an array of healthy food choices, this woman had completed her selection process at a mobile produce market, and was shown holding up a bright red bell pepper. Some of the vegetables she’d placed into her basket included a lemon, a head of cauliflower, a purple and a white onion, ginger root, and a variety of bell peppers.
  • This photograph depicts a male bicyclist, who was riding his bicycle on a sunny Georgia day.
  • A colander holding newly washed produce
  • young woman getting in some exercise time by practicing Yoga poses.
  • Illustration of human body displaying organs and labels for the 13 kinds of cancer related to overweight and obesity.
  • Characterisation of a farmers' market in a metropolitan area
  • Two in three U.S. adults weigh more than recommended
  • Overweight and obesity are associated with at least 13 types of cancer
  • More than 630,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with a cancer associated with overweight and obesity
  • A family of 3 bicycling
  • A person bicycling on a busy street
  • A family of 4, with young children, in their garden and holding up carrots that they're harvesting.
  • People at a Farmers' Market
  • A woman walking her young children to school

Contact Information

CDC Media Relations
(404) 639-3286
media@cdc.gov

Factsheet:

English [PDF 2.0MB](https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/pdf/2017-10-vitalsigns.pdf)
Spanish [PDF 2.0MB]

Brenda Fitzgerald, MD

Biography

Brenda Fitzgerald, MD

“A majority of American adults weigh more than recommended – and being overweight or obese puts people at higher risk for a number of cancers – so these findings are a cause for concern. By getting to and keeping a healthy weight, we all can play a role in cancer prevention”

Brenda Fitzgerald, MD – Director, CDC

Lisa C. Richardson, MD, MPH

Biography

Lisa C. Richardson, MD, MPH

“As an oncologist, when people ask me if there’s a cure for cancer, I respond by saying ‘yes, good health is the best prescription for preventing chronic diseases, including cancer’.  What that means to healthcare providers like me is helping people to have easier access to healthy, affordable foods and drinks where they live, work, learn, and play.”

Lisa C. Richardson, MD, MPH – Director, CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC)

Related Links

Connect with CDC Media

CDC Quick Links

CDC 24/7 – Saving Lives. Protecting People. Saving Money Through Prevention. Learn More About How CDC Works For You…

TOP