Obese Postmenopausal Women May Face Higher Risk for Breast Cancer

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, June 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A study of more than 67,000 women suggests that those who are obese and postmenopausal may face significantly higher odds for breast cancer compared with slimmer women.

The risk for breast cancer among the most obese women in the study was up to 58 percent higher than for normal-weight women.

In this study, the researchers said the most obese women had a body mass index (a measure of body fat) of 35 or higher. A woman who is 5-foot-7 and weighs 225 pounds would fall into that category.

“Obesity is a risk factor for breast cancer that is modifiable, making a healthy weight very important for prevention,” said lead researcher Marian Neuhouser, a professor of epidemiology at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

In addition to increasing the risk for breast cancer, obesity was associated with…