Most people are unaware that being overweight or obese can be a factor in developing cancer, according to new research.
A nationwide survey by Cancer Research UK found three out of four people in the UK were unaware of the link.
People from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were less likely to know about the link, while men were less likely than women to be aware of the increased risk of cancer caused by obesity.
A recent report by Cancer Research UK and the UK Health Forum estimated that if current trends of being overweight and obese continued, there would be a further 670,000 cancer cases over the next 20 years and lower income groups would be hit hardest.
Alison Cox, director of prevention at Cancer Research UK, said: 'Cancer isn’t at the forefront of people’s minds when talking about obesity and that’s really concerning.
'Few understand that excess weight increases the risk of several cancers, including some of the most common such as breast cancer.'
