Overview

• Presented at ENDO 2025, the analysis of more than 33,000 CDC-recorded deaths shows age-adjusted obesity-linked cancer mortality rising from 3.73 to 13.52 per million between 1999 and 2020, with full results pending journal publication.
• Obesity is now identified as a risk factor for 13 cancer types that collectively account for 40% of all U.S. cancer diagnoses each year.
• Women, adults over 50, rural residents, and Black and Native American populations experienced the steepest increases in obesity-related cancer deaths.
• Regional disparities emerged with the Midwest showing the highest mortality rates and the Northeast the lowest, while Vermont, Minnesota, and Oklahoma topped state-level figures against Utah, Alabama, and Virginia at the bottom.
• Researchers urge a shift from downstream treatment to upstream prevention through universal screening, equitable access to healthy foods, community-based weight management, and enhanced care in high-risk areas.