Obesity predicted to cause surge in UK cancer cases

A new report from Cancer Research UK has predicted a surge in UK cancer cases over the next two decades due to the growing obesity crisis,

Analysis from Cancer Research UK and the UK Health Forum has indicated that almost 700,000 new cases of cancer linked to being overweight or obese could be diagnosed in the UK between now and 2035.

With almost three in four adults set to be overweight or obese by this time, this would also result in millions of new cases of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke, thereby costing the NHS an additional 2.5 billion pounds a year.

Obesity affects the poorest in society most, with 49 percent of women from the lowest income bracket predicted to be obese by 2035.

As such, the report called for a multi-pronged attack on the problem, including a specific focus on preventing children from becoming obese by reducing their sugar consumption and preventing unhealthy foods from being advertised so prevalently.

Alison Cox, director of cancer prevention at Cancer Research UK, said: "We need to attack the obesity problem on many fronts and we must act now. Otherwise our children will pay the price and the next generation will have poorer health, face more disease and die earlier."