JJ Virgin4x NYTimes Best Selling Author, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Fitness Hall of Famer

Excess Weight Linked To Breast Cancer Risk

11 Jul 2025 · 1 min

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1:22

In this solo YouTube commentary, JJ Virgin summarizes a 2025 Cancer journal study that followed about 168,000 women from the EPIC and UK Biobank cohorts for roughly 11 years. The study found that women who were obese and also had cardiovascular disease faced a 31% higher risk of developing breast cancer compared with non‑obese peers. Virgin explains two primary biological pathways that could drive this association: (1) increased adipose tissue raises circulating estrogen, potentially elevating estrogen‑receptor‑positive breast cancer incidence; and (2) excess fat and cardiovascular disease promote low‑grade chronic inflammation, which can foster tumor growth. She stresses that risk is tied to body composition—not merely body weight—and highlights the importance of fat distribution. As actionable advice, Virgin recommends regular exercise to reduce inflammation, improve muscle contraction, and mobilize stored fat for energy, thereby lowering breast‑cancer risk.

Chapters

Hey, JJ here. Just wanted to break down a study that I just saw in the journal Cancer. And this study, 2025 study, showed 168,000 women from the EPIC and UK Biobanks that they looked at over nearly 11 years. And what they found is that obesity is very strongly correlated— 31%, um, those women who were obese and had cardiovascular disease were correlated with having a higher risk, 31%, for breast cancer. So I just wanna give you a couple reasons this could be a case, the case, and also some takeaways. Number 1, when you have more body fat, you also produce more estrogen. So this could see an increase in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. And of course, we also know that both cardiovascular disease and obesity produce more low-grade inflammation, which could also lead to tumor growth. What's the message here? One thing we know for sure, this is why we need to look at body composition rather than weight, is that you are more at risk. It's not the body weight, it's the body fat that puts you at risk because of that inflammation. And of course, also where that fat's located. And then the other side of that is doing exercise, because of course, if you are contracting muscles, you are losing inflammation and you're also helping your body use stored fat for fuel.