A new study has revealed the shared risk factors that lead to diabetes, heart disease and cancer and concluded obesity is the biggest one.

 The World Cancer Research Foundation has concluded that obesity is a major cancer risk factor, likely causing about 20% of cancers of the breast, esophagus, colon, kidney, endometrium, pancreas, and gall bladder in the United States.

Likewise, overweight and obesity contribute to diabetes and cardiovascular disease, causing 58% of type 2 diabetes and 21% of ischemic heart disease (according to the World Heart Federation).

Shared risk factors for cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease also include, most importantly, tobacco, diet quality, physical activity and alcohol use.

University of Colorado Cancer Center investigator Tim Byers said that by stepping back to look system-wide, researchers from many disciplines could collaborate and share knowledge, leading to a better understanding of how these risk factors work at the tissue, cellular and molecular levels to drive these diseases.