16 States Now Have Adult Obesity Rates At or Above 35%. What Does This Mean for Cancer Risk and Treatment?

In 2018, nine states had populations where at least 35% of residents were overweight. By 2019, this number had climbed to twelve states. The most recent data released by the CDC shows that there are sixteen states in which adult obesity rates are at or above 35%, almost double the number of states that fit this category in 2018.

This data is concerning enough on its own, but the CDC also found meaningful disparities regarding which parts of the population struggle with obesity. Their research, spanning 2018 through 2020, found that there were no states in which the non-Hispanic Asian population had an obesity prevalence of 35% or above. There is some evidence, however, that the adverse health effects associated with obesity might occur at a lower body mass index among people of Asian descent.

There were seven states in which non-Hispanic white residents had an obesity prevalence of at least 35%. There were twenty-two states with Hispanic populations fitting this category. Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia had non-Hispanic black populations with an obesity prevalence of 35% or higher. These differences can be explained, at least in part, by gaps in access to quality health care and healthy food.

Dr. Sagar Lonial discusses the role of diet and exercise in cancer risk.

Obesity and Cancer Treatment

Obesity increases an individual's risk of developing a range of dangerous health conditions, including several types of cancer (breast cancer, prostate cancer, and pancreatic cancer among others). In addition to increasing the likelihood of developing certain cancers, obesity is associated with worse treatment outcomes.

In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Stephen Freedland of Cedars Sinai Medical Center said, “Some of the best data we have is that obesity increases the risk of not just getting prostate cancer, but actually dying from prostate cancer. Obese men are 35 percent more likely to die from prostate cancer.”

Conditions caused or exasperated by obesity like diabetes and heart disease can lead to additional complications from cancer treatment, and they can sometimes prevent patients from receiving the recommended first-line therapies. Obesity even increases the risk of undergoing surgery. Overweight patients might not have the option of surgically removing cancers because the possible complications could outweigh the benefits.

Joseph Dowdell, RDN, LD, of the Cleveland Clinic wrote, "Food can help prevent many of the chronic conditions that increase your risk of cancer. Genetics and other health conditions can impact cancer prevalence as well, but those are usually out of our control. Obesity is something we can control through food and exercise." It is true that diet and exercise can be powerful tools in managing cancer risk, but it is also important to recognize the way that access to quality food and healthcare can create differences in which parts of the population struggle with obesity.

The CDC wrote that in order to address these inequalities and push back against rising levels of obesity, we will need to see “a sustained, comprehensive effort from all parts of society.” This will involve acknowledging health disparities and addressing “the social determinants of health such as poverty and lack of healthcare access.”

Speaking with SurvivorNet, Dr. Andrea Tufano-Sugarman of NYU Langone Health explained the benefits of losing weight: “While all cancers cannot be prevented, losing weight is a great way to reduce one's risk,” she said.

Dr. Tufano-Sugarman said that this is especially true for women, who lower their risk of developing breast cancer and endometrial cancer when they lose weight and keep it off.

Even without losing weight, adopting a more nutritious diet can help.

“Food choices, independent of weight loss, may also help to reduce risk,” said Dr. Tufano-Sugarman. “Research has shown that the Mediterranean diet (rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes, fish and olive oil) is associated with a decreased risk of cancer. Whereas diets rich in red meat may be associated with an increased risk of colorectal and prostate cancer.”

Obese men are about 35 percent more likely to die from prostate cancer, according to Dr. Stephen Freedland of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

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