Obesity Among Young Adults Is Linked To Greater Risk Of Developing Lymphoma

Though the causes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) are obscure, researchers have found an association between body weight and diet in young adulthood with NHL, an often fatal cancer of the white blood cells. The yet-unpublished study analyzed dietary and other questionnaire data from 47,541 men who were followed for 22 years, and 91,227 women followed for 28 years. Researchers found that obesity in young adulthood was associated with risk for NHL later in life. Men with a BMI of 30 or higher in their early twenties had a 64 percent higher risk for NHL compared to men who were lean. Obese women had a 19 percent higher risk; women who ate at least four servings of vegetables a day had a 16 percent lower risk of  developing NHL.