A new study has found that almost half of all cancer cases are linked to obesity, proving further how crucial it is so stay in shape.
The research was carried out by Sweden’s Lund University saw 4.1 million participants who were monitored for about 40 years, with close checks on their weight and lifestyle.
Over the period, more than 332,000 cases of cancer were identified.
They found that in 40 percent of these cases, there appeared to be a link between excess weight and the development of cancer.
In today 32 types of cancer were found to have an obesity link. The report added that previously, international research identified 13 types of cancer linked to obesity.
the European Congress on Obesity in Venice.
Professor Jason Halford, president of the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO), told the publication that the study was a strong, large-scale analysis.
“As always, more research is needed but it reveals what many studying the links between cancer and obesity have suspected; that obesity is likely to be a risk factor for many more types of cancer than we had evidence for before,” Professor Halford added.
More than a billion people are living with obesity around the world, global estimates published in The Lancet show.
This includes about 880 million adults and 159 million children, according to 2022 data.
The highest rates are in Tonga and American Samoa for women and American Samoa and Nauru for men, with some 70-80% of adults living with obesity.
Out of some 190 countries, the UK ranks 55th highest for men and 87th for women.
The NHS recommends that adults should do some type of physical activity every day, including stength and cardio training.
They add that you should reduce time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity.
An ideal daily intake of calories varies depending on age, metabolism and levels of physical activity, among other things. Generally, the recommended daily calorie intake is 2,000 calories a day for women and 2,500 for men.