Women with wide waists face higher cancer risk

LONDON - Almost half of women have a higher risk of cancer because of their bulging waistlines.

Most people think men carry more weight around their tummy, but the reality is that women are way out in front.

Forty-four percent of women in England have a large waistline linked to a range of cancers and other diseases, compared to 32 percent of men, government figures show.

Experts say a healthy waist measurement for women is less than 31.5 inches (80cm), while white and black men should keep to less than 37in (94cm). Asian men should keep their waist measurement below 35in (90cm), reports the Daily Mail.

A World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) spokesman called on both sexes to think about slimming if they are overweight or have a big waist.

In Britain, 29 percent of men and 26 percent of women are ‘abdominally obese’ which means they are carrying excess body fat that increases the risk of all cancers.

It is strongly linked to cancers of the bowel, pancreas, breast and womb lining. Bigger waistlines also increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart

disease.

Rachel Thompson, deputy head of science for the WCRF, said people should measure their waistline and their body mass index, which is the ratio of a person’s height to their weight, to check if they are at risk.

David Haslam, clinical director of the National Obesity Forum, said: “We know that abdominal obesity is a key measure that can be used to predict someone’s risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.”