Obesity during one’s twenties and thirties may increase the risk of developing cancer at an early age. The findings of a new study have been published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
A team of researchers led by Jae-Seung Yun of the Catholic University of Korea in Seoul tracked more than 6 million adults, aged 20 to 39, over a period of approximately ten years. All participants were healthy at the start of the study.
Among participants with a healthy weight, 1.8% developed cancer over the 10-year period.
For individuals with obesity, this figure rose to 2.2%, and for those with more severe forms of obesity, it climbed to 2.6%. Abdominal fat was also a factor; the researchers found that individuals with excess fat in the abdominal area had the highest overall incidence of cancer.
According to the study, the strongest associations were found with thyroid, endometrial, and ovarian cancers.
However, the researchers did not find a significant link to breast cancer.
The study cannot prove a causal relationship, and the authors acknowledged certain limitations, including a lack of detailed data on smoking habits.
Nevertheless, they noted that the findings underscore the importance of weight management during early adulthood.
Further research is needed to determine whether intentional weight loss reduces the risk of developing cancer.
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