Overweight People In Their 20s Would Likely Increase The Risk Of Two Cancers

A new study indicates that those people who were overweight in their 20s would likely increase the risk of acquiring esophageal and stomach cancers by 60 percent to 80 percent. If they also become obese later in life, the risk could also heighten.

The study was printed in the British Journal of Cancer. It was led by researcher Jessica Petrick from the U.S. National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, MD, and other colleagues, according to CBS News.

Dr. Petrick explained that the results of the study accentuate the possibility of weight control programs for alleviating the risk of developing esophageal and stomach cancers, which both have extremely poor survival. She added that extra weight can cause acid reflux problems and heartburn leading to cancer.

In the study, the researchers examined the health data of over 400,000 people considering their height and weight at ages 20, 50 and the time they participated in the study. The team identified the people who had acquired cancers as the years passed by.

The results showed that the participants who were overweight at age 20 had 60 percent to 80 percent would likely acquire the esophageal and stomach cancers in later life than those who had healthy and normal weight. Meanwhile, those participants who gained more than 20 kilograms by age 50 doubled their risk of developing esophageal cancer and fairly increased their risk of stomach cancer, according to Global News.

Dr. Graham Colditz, a Washington University School of Medicine professor, said that the burden of cancer because of overweight or obesity is vast than expected. He added that several of the newly detected cancers associated with overweight have not been on people's radar.

It is reported that about 640 million adults and 110 million children all around the globe are classified as obese. In Canada alone, there are about 14 million obese or overweight adults and 500,000 children who are overweight, according to Statistics Canada.