By Allison Bond NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Overall body size, rather than shape, is a better indicator of breast cancer risk after menopause, according to a recent study. The analysis of U.S. women contradicts past research suggesting that having an apple shape with a large midriff measurement, regardless of weight or body mass index (BMI), might signal greater breast cancer risk. “When we looked at both BMI and waist size, we found that BMI explained the relationship (with breast cancer risk), and that the waist circumference had little effect,” said Mia Gaudet, an American Cancer Society epidemiologist who led the new study. Having a BMI in the obese range (30 or greater) has also been linked to breast cancer risk up to twice that of women in the normal weight range (BMIs of 25 or less, in this study).