Study links obesity to risk of cancer

It found that a waist measurement of more than 100 centimetres for men and 85 for women significantly increases the risk of some cancers.

The council's Professor David Hill says most people do not even think about weight as an issue when it comes to cancer.

"People are quite good at identifying tobacco, over exposure to the sun, as things you have to think about," he said.

"Less than one per cent said that controlling their weight was a way to reduce the risk of cancer and that's a huge information deficit." SOURCE: © 2007 Australian Broadcasting Corporation