Archive · 24 Dec 2025
ICMR Study Links Diet, Sleep, Obesity to Breast Cancer Risk
A big study by ICMR found that eating non-vegetarian food, not sleeping well, and being obese can make women in India more likely to get breast cancer.
Breast cancer cases in India are expected to go up by about 5.6% every year.
The study also looked at other things like when women get married, have babies, and go through menopause.
It found that getting married later, having more than two abortions, and having a baby after 30 can also increase the risk.
Interestingly, drinking alcohol and smoking didn't seem to make much difference in India because people here don't drink or smoke much.
The study suggests that where fat is stored in the body might be more important than how much fat there is overall.
Poor sleep might also play a role because it can mess up the body's natural rhythms.
Non-vegetarian diet, poor sleep, and obesity linked to increased breast cancer risk in Indian women.
Breast cancer cases in India expected to rise by 5.6% annually, with 2,21,757 cases reported in 2022.
Reproductive factors like late marriage, multiple abortions, and late childbirth increase breast cancer risk.
Abdominal obesity (waist-to-hip ratio ≥ 0.85) more strongly associated with risk than overall BMI.
Alcohol and tobacco use not significantly associated with breast cancer risk in India due to low consumption.
- Who
- Indian women, as per ICMR study
- What
- Increased risk of breast cancer associated with non-vegetarian diet, poor sleep, obesity, and reproductive factors
- When
- Study published on December 24, 2025, reviewing articles up to December 22, 2024
- Where
- India, with global context
- Why
- To identify and quantify risk factors for breast cancer among Indian women
- Estimated New Cases in India (2022)
- 2,21,757
- Global New Cases (2022)
- 2.3 million
- Annual Increase in Cases
- 5.6%
- Waist-to-Hip Ratio Threshold
- ≥ 0.85
- Risk Increase with Late Menopause
- More than twofold
- Risk Increase with >2 Abortions
- 1.68 times higher
- Alcohol Risk Increase per 10g
- 7.1%
- Daily Alcohol Consumption in India
- 0.4 g/day
Sources
Non-vegetarian diet, poor sleep, obesity associated with increased risk of breast cancer: ICMR study
Non-Vegetarian Diet, Poor Sleep, Obesity Can Increase Breast Cancer Risks: ICMR Study
Non-vegetarian diet, poor sleep, obesity associated with increased risk of breast cancer: ICMR study
