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Background
Adopting or maintaining a healthy lifestyle after a cancer diagnosis has the potential to reduce both cancer- and non-cancer-related morbidity. Preventing excess body weight and obesity can enhance the length and health-related quality of life of cancer survivors, and it can reduce the risk of developing cancers that have been linked to excess body weight, including colorectal, breast (among women who have gone through menopause), endometrial, esophageal, renal cell (kidney), and pancreatic cancer.
As the number of cancer survivors grows and expected survival time increases, the health behaviors of these individuals are becoming an important focus of attention.
Measure
Rates of obesity among cancer survivors are based on the self-reporting of individuals with a cancer history, who are interviewed as part of the annual population-based National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). These weight groups are defined by a measurement called body mass index (BMI), which is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters, squared. For most adults, experts consider a BMI of 30 and over to be obese.
Healthy People 2030 Target
- There is no Healthy People 2030 target for obesity rates among cancer survivors, though Healthy People does include a national objective to increase the mental and physical health-related quality of life of cancer survivors; however, the goal for the general population is to reduce the proportion of adults with obesity to 36.0 percent.
- Healthy People 2030 Targets are developed and based on the general population and do not account for differences in the age distribution of cancer survivors compared to the general population. Cancer survivors are typically older than those in the general population who have not had cancer.
Healthy People 2030 is a set of goals set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Note: Goals are indicated as blue line on Detailed Trend Graphs.
Data Source
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. National Health Interview Survey, 1992–2020.
In 2019 the NHIS questionnaire was redesigned to increase relevance, enhance data quality, and minimize respondent burden. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic created challenges conducting in-person interviews for the 2020 NHIS, requiring changes to field procedures to conduct most surveys by telephone, which impacted survey response rates. For details related to the potential impacts of these issues, please refer to Potential Impact of NHIS Redesign and COVID-19 on the Cancer Trends Progress Report.
Trends and Most Recent Estimates
Overweight
By Sex
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of cancer survivors | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Both Sexes
|
35.6 | 33.6 - 37.7 |
Male
|
41.4 | 38.1 - 44.9 | |
Female
|
31.4 | 28.9 - 34.0 | |
By Time Since Cancer Diagnosis
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of cancer survivors | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
5 years or less since diagnosis
|
34.4 | 30.9 - 38.2 |
6+ years since diagnosis
|
36.2 | 33.7 - 38.8 | |
Compared to Remaining U.S. Population
| Overview graph | Age Group | Cancer Survivor | Remaining U.S. Population | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of population | Confidence Interval | Percent of population | Confidence Interval | ||
|
Ages 18 and older | 32.1 | 29.8 - 34.5 | 34.2 | 33.9 - 34.6 |
Obese
By Sex
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of cancer survivors | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Both Sexes
|
33.6 | 31.5 - 35.7 |
Male
|
33.4 | 30.2 - 36.7 | |
Female
|
33.8 | 31.0 - 36.7 | |
By Time Since Cancer Diagnosis
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of cancer survivors | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
5 years or less since diagnosis
|
35.9 | 32.3 - 39.6 |
6+ years since diagnosis
|
32.9 | 30.4 - 35.5 | |
Compared to Remaining U.S. Population
| Overview graph | Age Group | Cancer Survivor | Remaining U.S. Population | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of population | Confidence Interval | Percent of population | Confidence Interval | ||
|
Ages 18 and older | 34.1 | 31.6 - 36.7 | 31.4 | 30.9 - 31.8 |
Additional Information on Cancer Survivors and Weight
- Facing Forward: Life After Cancer Treatment. National Cancer Institute.
- Health and Well-Being After a Cancer Diagnosis. National Cancer Institute, Office of Cancer Survivorship.
- Obesity and Cancer. National Cancer Institute.
- Survivorship: During and After Treatment. American Cancer Society.
- Take Control of Your Weight. American Cancer Society.
- Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Overweight & Obesity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Physical Activity for a Healthy Weight. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Body Mass Index Table. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
- Overweight and Obesity.. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
- Obesity Evidence-Based Programs Listing . National Cancer Institute.
- Caring for Cancer Survivors: Obesity and Wellness. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Obesity in Adults: Screening and Management. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
- Obesity in Children and Adolescents: Screening (June 2017). U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
- Weight management and physical activity throughout the cancer care continuum. Demark-Wahnefried W, Schmitz KH, Alfano CM, et al. CA Cancer J Clin. 2018 Jan;68(1):64-89.
- Trends in Obesity Among Adults in the United States, 2005 to 2014. Flegal KM, Kruszon-Moran D, Carroll MD, Fryar CD, Ogden CL. JAMA. 2016 Jun 7;315(21):2284-91.
- Helping Patients Eat Better During and Beyond Cancer Treatment: Continued Nutrition Management Throughout Care to Address Diet, Malnutrition, and Obesity in Cancer. Greenlee H, Santiago-Torres M, McMillen KK, Ueland K, Haase AM. Cancer J. 2019 Sep/Oct;25(5):320-328.
- Obesity, physical activity, and breast cancer survival among older breast cancer survivors in the Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort. Maliniak ML, Patel AV, McCullough ML, et al. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2017 Aug 31.
- Incorporating Weight Management and Physical Activity Throughout the Cancer Care Continuum: Proceedings of a Workshop. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018.
- American College of Sports Medicine Roundtable Report on Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Cancer Prevention and Control. Patel AV, Friedenreich CM, Moore SC, et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2019 Nov;51(11):2391-2402.
- Association of Obesity with Survival Outcomes in Patients with Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Petrelli F, Cortellini A, Indini A, Tomasello G, Ghidini M, et al. JAMA Network Open. 2021; 4(3): e213520.
- Results of the Exercise and Nutrition to Enhance Recovery and Good Health for You (ENERGY) Trial: A Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention in Overweight or Obese Breast Cancer Survivors. Rock CL, Flatt SW, Byers TE, et al. J Clin Oncol. 2015 Oct 1;33(28):3169-76.
- Obese Breast Cancer Patients and Survivors: Management Considerations. Sheng JY, Sharma D, Jerome G, Santa-Maria CA. Oncology (Williston Park). 2018 Aug 15;32(8):410-7.
- Diet and supplements in cancer prevention and treatment: clinical evidences and future perspectives. Vernieri C, Nichetti F, Raimondi A, et al. Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology. 2018 March: 123: 57-73.
- National Center for Health Statistics – Obesity and Overweight. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.