Obesity is a key factor behind rising cancer rates among younger adults in England, according to a new study from the Institute of Cancer Research and Imperial College London.
The analysis of data from 2001 to 2019 found that 11 types of cancer, including bowel, ovarian, thyroid and pancreatic cancer, are increasing in people aged 20 to 49. Obesity was identified as the only behavioural risk factor that has increased in younger adults over this period, while smoking, alcohol consumption and physical inactivity have remained stable or declined.
Excess weight was linked to ten of the cancers examined, with oral cancer being the only exception. The researchers estimated that maintaining a healthy weight could prevent around 20% of bowel cancers, 35% of endometrial cancers and 27% of kidney cancers.
However, the study also noted that obesity alone does not fully explain the rise. Professor Montserrat García-Closas, co-director of the Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research Unit at the Institute of Cancer Research, said: "Excess weight is an important contributor, although it cannot fully account for the scale of the rise in bowel and other cancers." She called for stronger public health policies to tackle obesity, particularly in children and young people.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said the rise is complex and requires more research, but measures to restrict junk food advertising and improve access to nutritious food could help.
