By EKalman July 27, 2022 - 7:25am

Extra weight may be a risk to your heart, energy levels, or even your joints, but you may be unaware of the role bodyweight plays in a less obvious risk: cancer.

Overweight or obesity causes approximately 28,000 new cancer diagnoses in men and 72,000 in women in the United States each year.

Being overweight or obese has been linked to an increased risk of 13 different types of cancer. Weight loss reduces the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer, so there are numerous reasons to visit a weight loss center and get back into shape.

Here are some types of cancer that have been linked to excess weight thus far, as well as why those extra pounds matter.

1. Breast Cancer
Excess weight increases a woman's risk of breast cancer, but only after menopause. Obese postmenopausal women have a 20% to 40% higher risk of developing breast cancer than women of a healthy weight, and each additional five points in body mass index or BMI increases the risk by 12%.

After menopause, fat tissue becomes the primary source of estrogen for women. However, estrogen contributes to the growth of some breast cancers. Excess body fat can lead to an increase in estrogen levels, increasing the risk of breast cancer.

2. Colon Cancer
Obese men and women are approximately 30% more likely to develop colorectal cancer than people of average weight. Adipokines are hormones released by fat tissue that promote cell growth, including the growth of colorectal cancer cells.

Fat tissue surrounds the colon as well. Chronic, low-grade inflammation from fat tissue can result in the development of colon cancer.

3. Endometrial Cancer
The endometrium is the uterine lining, and the cells in it can become cancerous, resulting in endometrial cancer. Overweight and obese women are two to four times more likely to develop the disease than average-weight women. Endometrial cancer may also be fueled by excess estrogen produced by fat tissue, but there is also a link between endometrial cancer and insulin resistance.

4. Esophageal Cancer
Carrying extra weight increases your chances of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer in the esophagus or throat that begins in cells in the throat that produce mucus and other fluid. Another risk factor for this type of cancer is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which occurs when stomach acid moves into the lower part of the esophagus, and GERD is more common in obese people.

5. Gallbladder Cancer
Overweight people have a 20% increased risk of gallbladder cancer, while obese people have a 60% increased risk. A history of gallstones, or hardened fluid deposits in the organ, is the most important risk factor for gallbladder cancer, and gallstones are more common in obese people.

6. Kidney Cancer
Overweight or obese people are nearly twice as likely to develop renal cell cancer, the most common type of kidney cancer. Insulin resistance may also increase the risk of kidney cancer, and this pre-diabetes condition is more common in overweight people. The kidneys are in a fat bed, and it's possible that inflammation in the fatty tissue is influencing what's going on in the kidney.

7. Liver cancer
Overweight or obese people are also twice as likely as normal-weight people to develop liver cancer. Hepatitis C, a viral infection of the liver, can lead to liver cancer, as can cirrhosis, or liver scarring caused by hepatitis or alcohol abuse. Chronic inflammation is caused by both, just as it is by being overweight or obese.

8. Meningioma
This type of brain tumor begins in the meninges, the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord, and grows slowly. Meningioma risk is approximately 20% higher in overweight people and 50% higher in obese people, but there "really isn't any good explanation" for the link between weight and this type of nervous system cancer at this time.

9. Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer that affects bone marrow plasma cells. Overweight or obese people are only 10% to 20% more likely to develop the disease. Because fat cells exist in bone marrow, it is thought that the inflammation-promoting chemicals produced by fat cells could aid in the growth of multiple myeloma.

10. Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is also slightly more common in heavier women. A five-point increase in BMI raises a woman's risk by 10%. Ovarian cancer, like breast and endometrial cancers, may be fueled by estrogen produced in excess fat tissue or by metabolic dysfunction such as insulin resistance.