Pinpointing the association of obesity with the risk of cancer and mortality

The connection of obesity with major chronic diseases and causes of death is well-known, but knowledge is scarce for rarer diseases, and for other obesity-related markers than a single measure of body mass index (BMI, kg/m2). By use of a Swedish nationwide database of millions of individuals with anthropometric measurements through adulthood, individually linked to national disease registers, my research group investigates the associations between obesity measures and the risk of cancer and death. For example, we will investigate 1) weight changes and 2) BMI combined with cardiometabolic diseases (any cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes), in relation to subsequent risk of common and rare forms of cancer and death. The results will elucidate specific harmful obesity-related features, such as identifying any critical age-periods of weight gain on risk, and the interplay between obesity and cardiometabolic disease on risk, including the impact of change from metabolically healthy to unhealthy obesity over a period of time. The ultimate long-term goal is to contribute to evidence-based prevention strategies, by pinpointing obesity-related focus areas for optimised disease prevention.