The “Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer” was featured in the May 1, 2012 issue of the journal Cancer. The conclusion: Excess weight increases your risk of developing many cancers, including colon, breast, pancreas, liver and others.

The report also concluded that lack of sufficient physical activity is associated with increased risk of colon, endometrial and breast cancers. Furthermore, the report found that excess weight is associated with poor survival rates among people diagnosed with cancer. On the flip side, the researchers noted that studies indicate that physical activity after diagnosis will reduce the risk of cancer recurrence.

Presently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that more than one-third of adults living in the United States are obese. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. For example, a person who is 5-foot 9-inches tall and weighs more than 203 pounds is likely classified as obese. 

According to 2011 projections featured in the journal Lancet by researchers from Columbia University, by 2030 more than half the U.S. adult population will be obese. The projections also show that this will create between 490,000 and 670,000 new cases of cancer. 

The latest annual report on the status of cancer concludes that excess weight and lack of physical activity are second only to tobacco as preventable causes of cancer and cancer deaths in the United States.