Women who go up a few dress sizes after their mid-20’s have a greater risk developing breast cancer after menopause, say researchers at University College London.
While obesity has long been considered a risk factor for cancer, British researchers have found that a woman’s thickening waist line between the ages of 20 and 64 actually give her a 33 per cent increased risk of developing breast cancer later on in life.
The study tracked more than 90,000 women living in Britain aged between their 50s and 60s and found that those who went up a skirt size every 10 years from their mid-20s were linked to higher rates of cancer.
An increase of two skirt sizes in the same period was associated with a 77 per cent greater risk, the study claimed.
Professor Usha Menon of the Department of Women’s Cancer, who led the study, told BBC News: “If skirt size could be confirmed by others as a good predictor of breast cancer risk in older women, this would be a very simple and easy way to monitor weight gain.”
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Australian women have a one in eight chance of developing breast cancer and the risks of developing the disease increase with age.
While commenting on the British study, Simon Vincent, of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, told the BBC that one’s general health plays a huge role in reducing the risks associated with the illness.
“We know that 40 per cent of breast cancers could be prevented by changes to lifestyle such as being regularly active and maintaining a healthy weight,” said Vincent.
Tom Stansfeld, of Cancer Research UK, said that while the research didn’t cover all bases due to dress sizes being quite flexible, the links between weight and breast cancer are widely recognised.
“Keeping a healthy weight is important to help reduce breast cancer risk after the menopause, and looking at skirt sizes to help women understand this is interesting, but knowing if you’re overweight is more important.”
