Excessive weight increases the risk of cancer, but what does the information do?

The authorities and researchers have the responsibility of the public to expand information about the risks identified by the study. Extending information and education are also important public health efforts to influence the rules of lifestyle habits and help individuals to make informed opportunities for their health.

Research has found links between overweight and at least 13 different types of cancer, such as coloremon and breast cancer. Obesity prevention and treatment can therefore cause fewer cancer cases in the future. European Cancer Code to reduce the risk of cancer that can perform 12 actions. These include lifestyle changes, protection of certain chemicals, vaccination and performance in programs and maintain healthy weight.

This type of information suggests that prevention measures can control and influence individuals. Acting is an expected individual. However, perceptions of control over individual reasons can lead to stigmatization and neck of cancer patients, as well as the disease is believed to be self-inflicted. Healthy information has been seen in previous campaigns aimed at conscientious public connection between smoking and lung cancer. Excessive weight and obesity are already stigmatized conditions. Overweight and people with obesity discriminate in all sectors of society, including health care, physical and psychological consequences. Therefore, when referring to overweight as a risk factor of cancer, it is very important to strengthen the extensive stigmatization of people with excessive weight.

In a new interview study, I and three other researchers crawl about information about overweight and cancer links. Participants were ethically highlighted by communicating this health risk, such as stigmatization risk, distribution of the responsibility of treatment and prevention and the need for empathy. Participants perceive link information that considers overweight and cancer personally important. It worries their bodies and health. However, the information was loaded. It felt hard to have a high risk of cancer. That was partly, it was difficult to act on information, knowing how difficult weight loss is: “No one to choose an excessive option.” So the information may contain counterproducers, anxiety and excessive. He could strengthen feelings of failure and strengthen themselves to increase their hatred. Many participants reported negative experiences of health meetings where they judged and misunderstood. It is also often missing proper support for weight loss. The information becomes meaningless, argued and perceived as an offensive and patronage.

Participating exams contributed several suggestions for improvement. They called the information that reduces the risk of cancer and the complex cause of clean guidance to reduce the information in different ways – not through weight loss, as well as alternative methods. Health professionals show empathy and pay attention to people based on people who consider the unique situation and needs of people. This includes concrete and feasible advice, as well as support for patients in efforts to improve their health.

In our article we emphasize that health communications often do not have ethical reflections and clear goals (beyond the obligation to be transparent). Public health interventions, like clinical interventions, ethical interventions and principles should be based on the positive effects of intervention when weigh against potential negative effects (or “side effects”). Sometimes some damage can be acceptable if the benefit is large enough. But today, the minimum benefit of information about the link between overweight and cancer or does not exist, making negative effects unacceptable. Our conclusion is that if you avoid excessive weight and obesity information, promoting health and the creation of damage, it must be empathetic, supportive and understand the complex cause of overweight. With responsibility and compassionate, health professionals and researchers can help improve health results for this target group.

If you want to read the interview studies, you can find it here: perceptions of cancer risk communication in individuals with overweight or obese – a qualitative dialogue analysis.

Do you want to know more?

European coalition for people living with obesity

Different links between overweight and cancer risk – Uppsala University

GRAUMAN, Å., Sundell, E., Nihlén Fahlquist, J., Hedström, M. Cancer risk communication perceptions of excessive weight or obese individuals – a qualitative analysis. BMC Public Health 25, 1900 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/012889-025-23056-W

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