Where Your Body Fat Hides Might Determine Your Cancer Risk

Unlike regular fat, visceral fat actively promotes cancer through inflammation and hormone disruption.
Where Your Body Fat Hides Might Determine Your Cancer Risk
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Your waistline may be a better predictor of cancer risk than your bathroom scale. While obesity has long been linked to higher rates of cancer, research points to a more precise culprit: where fat is stored in the body.

Visceral fat, the deep belly fat that wraps around the liver, pancreas, and intestines, doesn’t just sit there. It actively releases inflammatory chemicals and hormones that create ideal conditions for cancer to develop and spread.

Jennifer Sweenie
Jennifer Sweenie
Author
Jennifer Sweenie is a New York-based health reporter. She is a nutritional therapy practitioner and trained health-supportive chef focused on functional nutrition and the power of natural, whole foods. Jennifer serves on the board of directors for Slow Food NYC and is a former board member of the Farm-to-Consumer Foundation.