Cancer tumors accumulate in younger overweight people

Millennials with obesity are more likely to get cancer

Overweight and obesity can promote the development of cancer. Physicians have now found that cancers related to obesity in so-called Millennials increase faster compared to older generations of people.

The scientists of the American Cancer Society found in their current study that millennials with obesity are more likely to develop cancer than is the case in the elderly. The American experts published the results of their study in the English language journal "The Lancet Public Health".

It has long been known that obesity and obesity can lead to health problems. Especially with millennials, obesity seems to increase the risk for different forms of cancer. (Image: Kurhan / fotolia.com)

More and more people are suffering from obesity or obesity

A sharp rise in obesity over the last 40 years may have increased cancer risk in younger generations, researchers say. This could have an adverse effect on recent advances in the treatment of cancer.

Millennials are at a particularly high risk

The American Cancer Society's doctors examined millions of health records from 1995 to 2014 for their study. Over the last few decades, there has been growing evidence that certain cancers are associated with obesity. The researchers found that the rate of six out of twelve cancers (colorectal, uterine, gallbladder, kidney, pancreatic and multiple myeloma) has increased sharply in obesity, especially among Americans under the age of 50 years. And among younger generations between the ages of 25 and 49 years, and especially in so-called millennials, they noted a particularly high increase. Millennials (also commonly referred to as Generation Y) are people born during the early 1980s to the late 1990s.

Why have especially younger generations problems with the weight?

The experts say that this trend is due to the rapid increase in obesity in recent decades as younger generations around the world are exposed to earlier and prolonged exposure to the dangers of extra weight. The findings reveal a change that should be understood as a warning against increasing exposure to obesity-related cancers in older adults, study author Dr. Ahmedin Jemal of the American Cancer Society. Most cancers only occur in older adults, which means that at this advanced age at millennials, obesity-related cancer cases and deaths will continue to increase, the expert adds.

Obesity does not necessarily lead to cancer

The results suggest that stricter epidemiological surveillance of cancer development in younger adults is needed. Of course, obesity is just one factor, and the environment, genetics and other aspects can play an important role. Not every person who suffers from certain types of cancer is overweight and not every person with obesity suffers from cancer.

Why does obesity increase the risk of cancer?

Fat cells help the body to store energy, but they are also able to send chemical signals to other parts of the body. These signals can cause cells to divide faster, which can lead to cancer. In other words, fat cells form additional hormones and growth factors. These growth factors and hormones tell the body cells to divide faster. This increases the likelihood that cancer cells will be formed, and they may continue to divide and cause a tumor, the experts explain. (As)