Latest estimates predict that 7 in 10 are set to be overweight or obese between the ages of 35-44, compared to 5 in 10 ‘baby boomers’ (those born between 1945 and 1955) who were overweight/ obese at the same age.
Warning of the dangers, Alison Cox at Cancer Research UK said: “Being overweight is the UK’s biggest preventable cause of cancer after smoking, but most people don’t know about this substantial risk (only 15% of Brits are currently aware of the link between obesity and cancer.).
“If more people become aware of the link it may help spare not just millennials, but all generations from cancer.”
The charity warned that being overweight or obese as an adult puts people at risk of 13 different types of cancer, including breast, bowel and kidney.
Cox added: “The government must play a part to help people make healthy food choices. (Cancer Research UK) is campaigning for a ban on junk food adverts before the 9pm watershed to protect young people from advertising tactics which all too often promote fattening foods.”
The charity is also launching a nationwide campaign to drive awareness of the link between obesity and cancer, which it kicked off in Aylesbury. Handing out fake cigarette packets to shoppers containing chips, Cancer Research claimed shoppers got a “big surprise” on discovering the answer was in fact obesity.
Professor Linda Bauld, Cancer Research UK’s prevention expert, added: “Research shows that our evolving environment has a vital role to play in the obesity crisis. Clever marketing tactics by the food industry and greater access to unhealthy food are all likely to have contributed to the rise in obesity rates.
“Extra body fat doesn’t just sit there; it sends messages around the body that can cause damage to cells. This damage can build up over time and increase the risk of cancer in the same way that damage from smoking causes cancer.
“While these estimates sound bleak, we can stop them becoming a reality. Millennials are known for following seemingly healthy food trends, but nothing beats a balanced diet. Eating plenty of fruit, vegetables and other fibre filled foods like wholegrains, and cutting down on junk food is the best way to keep a healthy weight.”