Overview

• Age-adjusted mortality from 13 obesity-linked cancers climbed from 3.73 to 13.52 per million people between 1999 and 2020.
• Annual percent change in obesity-related cancer deaths averaged 5.92% overall and surged 19.37% from 2018 to 2020.
• Women, adults aged 65 and older, Native Americans and Black Americans experienced the steepest rises in obesity-associated cancer mortality.
• The Midwest recorded the highest regional rates while the Northeast remained lowest and states such as Vermont, Minnesota and Oklahoma topped the state rankings.
• Researchers urge reframing obesity as a cancer prevention priority by expanding upstream interventions, ensuring universal screening and tackling structural health inequities.