Letting weight creep up triples cancer risk

MEN AND women who pile on the pounds during the course of their lives are three times more likely to succumb to a deadly type of cancer, research shows.

Those who go from being overweight in their twenties to obese in their fifties are at far higher risk of tumours in the oesophagus and stomach.

The cancers, which affect 5 600 Britons a year, have extremely poor survival rates and only a fifth of victims are still alive after five years.

Experts are now urging adults to exercise more and monitor portion sizes from a young age to avoid letting their weight creep up.

Researchers from the US National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, looked at extensive data of 409 800 adults. This included their heights and weights at the ages of 20 and 50, which enabled them to calculate the body mass index (BMI).

The BMI is the relationship between someone’s weight compared with their height, with a rating of 19 to 25 deemed normal, 25 to 29 overweight and above 30 classed as obese.

The research showed that an adult who went from having a BMI of 27 in their twenties to a BMI of 40 in their fifties was three times more likely to develop cancer of the oesophagus or upper stomach. This would be equivalent to a 170cm person going from just over 76kg to 114kg in 30 years, or a 182cm person going from just over 89kg to 133kg.

The research also found that adults who put on 20kg and stayed within the overweight range during their lifetime were twice as likely to develop the cancers.

Dr Jessica Petrick, the study’s lead author, said being overweight could trigger long-term heartburn or acid reflux problems, which in turn lead to tumours. Another theory is that excess weight increases the circulation of the hormones oestrogen and testosterone, which also lead to cancer.

She said: “This study highlights how weight gain over the course of our lives can increase the risk of developing these two cancer types, both of which have extremely poor survival rates.”

The findings, published in the British Journal of Cancer, are particularly concerning as almost twothirds of adults in Britain are either overweight or obese.

Most gain weight as they get older and their metabolism slows down, they have less energy for exercise and may be inclined to eat and drink more. – Daily Mail