WHO guidelines on the association between waist circumference, physical activity and cancer risk – IARC

January 23, 2025

Scientists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and partner institutions support the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on waist circumference and physical activity in a first-of-its-kind study examining the relationship between waist circumference and physical activity. provided new evidence. , physical activity, and cancer risk. This study British Journal of Sports Medicine.

The research team looked at data from more than 315,000 UK Biobank participants. Participants were assigned to groups according to waist circumference, self-reported physical activity level, and compliance with WHO guidelines on waist circumference and physical activity. The researchers then looked at data from the same participants collected 11 years after the original data set to estimate the proportion of cancers associated with abdominal obesity and reduced physical activity.

Participants with waist circumferences above the WHO high-risk threshold were 11% more likely to develop cancer, even if they were physically active according to WHO guidelines. Similarly, participants who did not meet WHO guidelines for physical activity had a 4% higher risk of cancer, even if their waist circumference was below the high-risk threshold. Participants who did not follow either guideline had the highest cancer risk and were 15% more likely to develop cancer.

The WHO has established a high-risk waist circumference threshold of 88 cm or more for women and 102 cm or more for men. WHO guidelines on physical activity recommend at least 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking, and at least 75 to 150 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity physical activity, such as running, or an equivalent combination of these. I'm doing it. Perform moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise throughout the week.

This study highlights the importance of meeting WHO guidelines for both waist circumference and physical activity for cancer prevention. The study was funded by the World Cancer Research Fund, the French National Cancer Institute (INCa) and the German Research Fund.

Bohmann P, Stein MJ, Amadou A, Baurecht H, Fervers B, Fontvielle E, et al.
WHO guidelines on waist circumference and physical activity and their association with cancer risk

Br J Sports Med. Published online on January 22, 2025.
https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2024-108708

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