KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 — A new study in China warns of a concerning rise in obesity-related cancers among young people, fuelled by a “Westernised lifestyle” and exacerbated by lifestyle factors such as physical inactivity, tobacco use, the consumption of red meat and alcohol, and a lack of screening that delays early treatment, with colorectal cancer rates among 25-29-year-olds showing a particularly alarming spike.
If left unchecked, obesity-related cancers in China could double within a decade, according to South China Morning Post in a report published today.
The study, published last Friday in the peer-reviewed Med Journal of Cell Press, analysed over 650,000 cancer cases from 2007 to 2021.
It found that individuals born between 1997 and 2001 were 25 times more likely to be diagnosed with obesity-related cancers compared to those born between 1962 and 1966.
“Obesity-related cancer rates in China were rising at an alarming 3.6 per cent every year between 2007 and 2021 while non-obesity-related cancers remained stable,” said the researchers.
The overall rate of obesity-related cancers in China increased by 3.6 per cent annually during this period, with the rate among the 25 to 29 age group spiking by a staggering 15.3 per cent each year.
The study was co-authored by Yang Jinkui, an endocrinologist at the Capital Medical University in Beijing.
Yang and his team noted that the rising cancer rates among young adults are indicative of recent shifts in environmental and dietary factors.
They identified 12 types of obesity-related cancers, with colorectal, breast, thyroid, kidney, and uterine cancers showing the fastest growth among younger populations.
“The trend is consistent with the growing numbers of overweight and obese young people in China,” Yang stated in a press release.
The research team emphasised that without aggressive public health interventions, the situation could worsen dramatically.
They urged the government to implement policies promoting healthier diets, reducing the consumption of ultra-processed foods, and encouraging physical activity.
One of the most concerning findings was the increase in colorectal cancer cases among the 25 to 29 age group.
The incidence rate rose from 17.37 cases per 100,000 people to 23.89 per 100,000 during the study period.
The authors linked this rise to lifestyle factors such as physical inactivity, tobacco use, and the consumption of red meat and alcohol, compounded by a lack of screening that delays early treatment.
The research highlighted that wealthier coastal regions like Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu have seen a higher growth rate in colorectal cancers over the past decade compared to Western countries.
The Beijing team attributed the rise in obesity and related cancers to the adoption of a more “Westernised” lifestyle, despite years of public health efforts to combat these trends.
Yang warned that the number of overweight or obese children and adolescents in China is approaching levels seen in the United States.
In the 1980s, obesity was uncommon in China, but by 2019, 34 per cent of Chinese adults were classified as overweight, with 16 per cent considered obese.
The global trend of rising obesity-related cancers is a growing public health concern.
