A responsible approach to raising awareness about overweight and cancer
Preventing and treating overweight is key to the prevention of future cancer cases. But overweight is surrounded by stigma, and people who are overweight face discrimination and prejudice – sometimes causing distrust in the healthcare system.
Åsa Grauman, researcher at Uppsala University’s Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics and author of a recent BMC Public Health publication, has studied how people with overweight perceive information about the correlation between weight and cancer risk.
Overweight increases your risk of developing several cancers, but losing weight is difficult. Many individuals living with overweight have tried and failed, time and time again. The findings outlined in the BMC Public Health publication reveal that people with overweight want risk information but also find the information difficult to receive – especially with failed attempts at losing weight in their past.
Previous bad experiences with healthcare professionals are another common denominator between research participants. A soured exchange with healthcare staff can negatively affect trust in the entire healthcare system and change how information about the risks of having overweight is received. Without proper support to act on the risk information, it is perceived by many as useless or even damaging.
According to Åsa Grauman, people living with overweight want better support to change – not just to lose the weight, but also to explore alternative ways to decrease their risk of developing cancer. The focus should be on what the individual can realistically achieve, and the information should be delivered with empathy.
“It is of utmost importance that preventive measures to address obesity as a cancer risk factor do not reinforce stigma,” says Åsa Grauman. According to her, public health information needs to avoid presenting simple associations between obesity and cancer. Instead it should be more nuanced and raise awareness about the complex causes of obesity.
“Our findings can support the development and delivery of risk information to help people feel empowered to take action for their health, instead of shaming and discouraging.”
By Anna Holm Bodin
Grauman Å, Sundell E, Nihlén Fahlquist J, Hedström M, Perceptions of cancer risk communication in individuals with overweight or obesity– a qualitative interview study. BMC Public Health 25, 1900 (2025). DOI: 10.1186/s12889-025-23056-w