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Obesity in young adulthood linked to increased risk of early-onset cancer

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Obesity in young adulthood linked to increased risk of early-onset cancer

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Having obesity in your 20s and 30s could raise your risk for early-onset cancer.

A team led by Dr. Jae-Seung Yun of The Catholic University of Korea in Seoul followed more than 6 million adults, ages 20 to 39, for about a decade. All were healthy when the study began.

Among participants at a normal weight, 1.8% developed cancer within 10 years.

Among those with obesity, the number rose to 2.2%. And with more severe obesity, it jumped to 2.6%. Belly fat mattered, too. People with excess abdominal fat had the highest cancer rates overall, researchers found.

Thyroid, endometrial and ovarian cancers showed some of the strongest links, according to the results.

This study cannot prove cause and effect, and the authors acknowledged limitations, including a lack of detailed smoking data.

Still, they said the findings highlight the importance of managing weight early in adulthood.

More research is needed to determine whether intentional weight loss reduces cancer risk.

The study was published Oct. 27 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Jae-Seung Yun et al., Obesity and Cancer Risk in Young Adults in Korea, Annals of Internal Medicine (2026). DOI: 10.7326/annals-25-02612



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