Study: Obesity-linked cancer deaths have tripled in the United States

Cancer deaths linked to obesity have tripled in the United States over the past two decades, according to a study being presented Sunday at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif.

The study, which examined more than 33,000 deaths from obesity-associated cancers, revealed sharp increases in cancer deaths, especially among women, older adults, Native Americans and Black Americans.

Obesity is a significant risk factor for multiple cancers, contributing to significant mortality. This research underscores the need for targeted public health strategies such as early screening and improved access to care, especially in high-risk rural and underserved areas."

Faizan Ahmed, M.D., lead researcher of Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune City, N.J.

Obesity is a common condition. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 40.3% of adults have obesity. Obesity is a complex disease resulting from multiple genetic, physiological, hormonal, environmental and developmental factors.

In addition to certain types of cancer, obesity raises the risk of developing serious chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and chronic and end-stage kidney disease.

Obesity is associated with a higher risk of developing 13 types of cancer, according to the CDC. These cancers make up 40% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States each year.

They are:

• Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus
• Breast (in women who have gone through menopause)
• Colon and rectum
• Uterus
• Gallbladder
• Upper stomach
• Kidneys
• Liver
• Ovaries
• Pancreas
• Thyroid
• Meningioma (a type of brain cancer)
• Multiple myeloma

Faizan used mortality data from the CDC to analyze 33,572 U.S. deaths from obesity-associated cancers between 1999 and 2020. He found age-adjusted mortality rates increased from 3.73 to 13.52 per million over two decades, with steep increases among women, older adults, Black people, Native Americans and rural populations.

Regionally, the Midwest had the highest rate of obesity-related cancer deaths, while the Northeast had the lowest. State-level analysis revealed that Vermont, Minnesota and Oklahoma had the highest rates, while Utah, Alabama and Virginia had the lowest.