Study: Rate of obesity-related cancers on the rise among young Americans

Cancers linked to obesity are rising at a faster rate in millennials than among older Americans, according to a recent American Cancer Society study.

The agency published a study of millions of health records from 1995 to 2014 in The Lancet Public Health journal. It surveyed invasive cancer cases among people 25-84 diagnosed between 1995 and 2014 in 25 states.

According to the study, cancer trends among young adults reflect “recent changes in exposure to carcinogenic factors” for obvious reasons.

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The researchers found, according to the health records of the millions of cases studied, the spread of obesity has been reflected in the rates of obesity-linked cancers among Americans young enough to have less exposure to other carcinogens.

The authors warn that “numerous” cancers are linked with obesity, and that an unhealthy diet can accelerate the transition from normal tissue to “invasive malignancy.”

According to the authors, young Americans were less likely to develop cancers related to smoking and HIV infection.