Young adults today are more likely to get cancer than their parents were at the same age, and obesity might be behind this increased risk.
A study published recently in The Lancet Public Health used data gathered between 1995 and 2014 regarding 30 types of cancer, 12 of which are linked in one way or another to obesity.
Four of these six obesity-related cancers were twice as more likely to occur among Millennials than among Baby Boomers – their parents’ generation.
An example of this rise can be seen in pancreatic cancer. For people who were:
- 45-49 years old, it rose by 0.77%;
- 30-35 years old, it rose by 2.47%;
- 25-29 years old, it rose by 4.34%.
According to the researchers who conducted the study, the obesity epidemic that has taken over in the past 40 years is a major factor in this upward trend, given the increased body fat levels that the younger generations have.
In those four decades, the proportion of children and adolescents who are considered overweight has doubled.
Excess weight has been linked in other studies to 60% of endometrial cancer occurrences, 33% of kidney cancers, as well as various other cancer types.
The risk of developing cancer for those aged between 20 and 39 remains relatively low. This age group accounts for only 4% of all cancer occurrences in the United States.
Still, these findings are alarming.
They show without a doubt the threats posed by unhealthy dietary habits.
Eating healthy food is crucial to maintaining good overall health – and now, the stakes are even higher.
