According to a new, large-scale study by Swedish scientists, weight gain during adulthood increases the risk of developing cancer fivefold. Based on data from more than 600,000 patients, researchers have determined that there is no so-called “safe age” to gain weight, and excess kilograms are dangerous in any case.
It is well known that obesity is a cause of 13 different types of cancer; however, the impact of the timing and age of weight gain on these risks has been less studied until now. To clarify this, scientists from Lund University analyzed data from more than 250,000 men and nearly 380,000 women between the ages of 17 and 60. The study results, based on data collected up to 2023, were presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul.
The study showed that men who became overweight before the age of 30 had a fivefold higher risk of developing liver cancer. Additionally, their risk of pancreatic and kidney cancer doubled, while the probability of colon cancer increased by 58% compared to those who maintained a stable weight.
A similarly alarming trend was observed in women. Developing obesity before age 30 increases the risk of endometrial cancer 4.5 times. Furthermore, the risk of pancreatic cancer increases by 67%, kidney cancer doubles, and the threat of developing meningioma (a tumor of the membranes surrounding the brain) rises by 76%.
As age increases, gender differences emerge in the link between weight and cancer. For women who gained weight after the age of 30, the risk particularly increased for tumors driven by sex hormones (such as postmenopausal breast cancer). In men, obesity-related cancer risks (primarily esophageal and liver cancer) were more pronounced when weight gain occurred before age 45. According to the scientists, this is explained by the fact that early-onset obesity allows inflammatory processes and high insulin levels more time to damage tissues in the body.
According to the data, individuals who gained the most weight (an average of 32 kg) were 7% more likely to develop cancer than those whose weight increased only slightly (an average of 8 kg). However, as explained by the study’s author, Anton Nilsson, the risk of developing cancer was also elevated in those who gained relatively little, highlighting the critical importance of maintaining a stable, healthy weight throughout adulthood.
