Weight

Weight gain after the age of 18 is a known breast cancer risk. Research has shown that the more weight a woman gains in adult life, the higher the risk of developing breast cancer she will have after the menopause.

Being overweight after the menopause increases your risk of breast cancer. We believe the reason for this is that fat tissue becomes your main source of oestrogen after you’ve been through the menopause. So, the more fat tissue you have in your body, the more oestrogen you will produce. It’s this extra oestrogen that can increase your risk of breast cancer.

Other reasons to maintain a healthy weight

Weight gain and being overweight are linked with a variety of health problems. These include heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis and several types of cancer. Maintaining a healthy weight helps to reduce the risk of these diseases while promoting good health generally. If you are concerned about your weight, ask your GP for advice.

For more information, see our factsheet, Obesity and Breast Cancer Risk: The Facts (424 kb) .

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