Male weight at age 18 'linked to cancer in later life'

 

Men who are overweight at age 18 appear to be more likely to die from cancer in later life, even if they manage to lose weight during midlife.

That is according to a new study by Medical Research Council scientists and researchers at University College London and Harvard School of Public Health.

The researchers looked at data on approximately 20,000 men, all of whom had graduated from Harvard between 1916 and 1950.

Analysis revealed that those with the highest body mass indexes (BMIs) at age 18 were 35 per cent more likely to die from cancer than those with the lowest.

Men who lost weight between early adulthood and middle age did not benefit from any reduction in their risk of dying from cancer.

Commenting on the findings, which are published in the Annals of Oncology, lead author Dr Linsay Gray said: 'This is the first time the impact of obesity in early adulthood on later risk of cancer has been so closely examined.

'The message here is really clear: keeping your weight healthy as a young adult can significantly reduce your chance of developing cancer.'

NHS figures suggest that almost a quarter of over-16s in England were classified as obese in 2009, with a further 44 per cent of men and 33 per cent of women deemed to be overweight.