|
Going up several skirt sizes in midlife could be a warning sign of increased cancer risk, research suggests. Women who went up a skirt size every decade after their mid-20s had a 33% greater risk of breast cancer after the menopause, say researchers at University College London. Watching your skirt size from your mid-20s onwards could be a simple way to track weight gain, they told BMJ Open. Obesity is a known risk factor for cancer, particularly midriff fat. Prof Usha Menon of the Department of Women's Cancer, who led the study, told BBC News: "If skirt size could be confirmed by others as a good predictor of breast cancer risk in older women, this would be a very simple and easy way to monitor weight gain." Lifestyle factors The study tracked more than 90,000 women in their 50s and 60s living in England. During the three-year follow-up period, 1,090 women developed breast cancer. The researchers found that a unit increase in UK skirt size every 10 years (for example from 12 to 14) between 25 and post-menopausal age was linked to a 33% increased risk of breast cancer. Going up two skirt sizes in the same period was associated with a 77% greater risk, they report. Commenting on the research, Simon Vincent of Breakthrough Breast Cancer said: "We know that 40% of breast cancers could be prevented by changes to lifestyle such as being regularly active and maintaining a healthy weight. | 
