260518_195923227121938_100001127877233_529986_3942253_nYoung men with a lean physique at 18 years actually have a lower chance of dying from cancer than their obese counterparts of the same age. B)

Young men with the lowest body mass index at 18 years were 35% less likely to die from cancer than those with the highest BMIs, according to a study by British and American researchers.

The findings, published this month in the ANNULS OF ONCOLOGY, also showed smoking and physical activity as a young adult didn't affect results.

Obesity at 18 years is agreater risk for cancer than obesity at middle age, according to the study, one of the largest to look at at the effect of weight in young adulthood on risk of cancer death later in life. Early adulthood obesity was associated with dying from cancers of the lung, skin, esophagus and kidneys, the study showed.

"Keeping your weight healthy as a young adult reduces your chances of developing cancer later in life," said the study author, Medical Research Council researcher Linsay Gray.

Acknowledgements: Washington Post