Middle Age and Cancer risk with weight gain

Middle-age spread linked to increased cancer risk.

Weight gain can cause an increase in cancer risk. Men only need to gain 35 pounds and women only need to gain 49 pounds to be at risk. The reason as to why weight gain is such a risk is unclear, but it may be because the excess fat produces hormones that can help cancer develop. 

Researchers from Manchester University studied the BMI (body mass index) of 300,000 men and women to look for weight gain between the ages of 18 and 65. By looking at which people developed obesity-related cancers, the researchers determined that even modest amounts of weight put on over a long period of time can increase cancer risk.