While the study suggests a link, there is no definitive proof that being fat in itself causes cancer. "To make the link between cause and effect, we need to tick several boxes," said Dr. Andrew Renehan, the study's lead author and senior lecturer at the School of Cancer Studies at the University of Manchester. "This study begins to tick the first two or three boxes, but more research is needed to confirm it." The researchers compiled data from 141 studies and considered more types of cancers and more diverse populations than had been done previously. The research covered more than 280,000 cases from North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. The subjects, both overweight and normal weight, were followed for about nine to 15 years, with researchers tracking their body mass index, or BMI — a calculation based on weight and height — and correlating it with incidents of cancer. Read more at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080215/ap_on_he_me/obesity_cancer;_ylt=As.fRiN_y12lXHBmZOraBttZ24cA