Gaining weight over the years? Your body may remember

A new global study has raised fresh concerns about how steady weight gain through adult life may quietly raise the risk of several serious cancers.  Researchers in Sweden found that people who gained the most weight between the ages of 17 and 60 faced sharply higher chances of developing certain forms of cancer later in life.

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The study, presented at the European Congress on Obesity 2026 in Istanbul, tracked more than 600,000 men and women over several decades. Researchers observed that those with the steepest weight gain were far more likely to develop cancers linked to excess body fat. Men showed notably higher risks of liver and food pipe cancers, while women faced a particularly strong rise in womb cancer.

The findings also suggest that gaining excess weight at a younger age may carry even greater danger. Men who developed obesity before 30 faced up to five times the risk of liver cancer, while women had a dramatically higher risk of womb cancer.

Researchers say the message is clear: maintaining a healthy weight throughout life may play a major role in lowering future cancer risk.