Nearly half of all cancer cases are linked to obesity, new research has found.
The study of more than four million adults, who were tracked for decades, found excess weight could be fuelling more than 30 types of the disease.
Experts said the findings, which will be presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Venice, were “groundbreaking”, showing a timebomb ahead.
Health charities urged ministers to act on the “wake-up call,” with obesity already estimated to cost the country almost £100 billion a year, including £19 billion in NHS costs.
Victoria Atkins, the Health Secretary, said the Government was taking “strong action” to tackle obesity, with a drive to harness apps and technology to overhaul lifestyles expected this summer.
“I want us all to be able to lead longer, healthier lives,” she said.