Obesity is an important driver of rising cancer rates among the under-50s, a major new study suggests. While it does not explain the whole story and more evidence is needed, scientists said they believed being overweight or obese plays a role, possibly due to increased levels of insulin and inflammation. Researchers have become increasingly concerned in recent years about trends showing rising cancer rates in young adults, such as bowel and ovarian cancer. In 2023, around 31,000 cancers were diagnosed in people aged 20 to 49 in England – roughly one in 1,000 people. In contrast, far more (244,000) cases were diagnosed in those aged 50 to 79 – roughly one in every 100. Of the younger group, breast cancer was most common (8,500 cases), while bowel cancer accounted for 3,000 cases and melanoma skin cancer 2,800.…