A new study has identified obesity as a key factor behind the rising incidence of cancer among younger adults in England. Researchers from the Institute of Cancer Research and Imperial College London analysed data from 2001 to 2019 and found that 11 types of cancer, including bowel and ovarian cancer, are increasing among people aged 20 to 49.
Obesity was the only known behavioural risk factor that increased in younger adults during this period, while other risks such as smoking, alcohol consumption, red meat intake, and physical inactivity remained stable or declined. Excess weight was associated with 10 of the cancers identified, including thyroid, kidney, and pancreatic cancer, with oral cancer being the exception.
The researchers estimate that maintaining a healthy weight could prevent about 20% of bowel cancers, 35% of endometrial cancers, and 27% of kidney cancers. However, they caution that obesity alone does not fully explain the overall rise, suggesting unknown causes may also be involved.
Professor Montserrat García-Closas, co-director of the Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research Unit, said: 'Excess weight is an important contributor, although it cannot fully account for the scale of the rise in bowel and other cancers. This tells us that multiple factors – including early-life exposures – may be acting together.'
The study coincides with recent figures showing that cancer diagnoses in the UK have reached a record high, with more than 403,000 people diagnosed each year. Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, called for government action to restrict junk food advertising and improve access to nutritious food to help people maintain a healthy weight.
