London (PTI): Here's yet another reason why you should cut the flab -- obesity could give you cancer. A new research, published in the latest edition of the 'British Journal of Cancer', has found that overweight people are at a significantly higher risk of developing a range of common cancers.

In fact, according to researchers, an individual's risk of contracting at least seven types of cancer rises with every pound of weight put on -- however, those who lose weight can reduce their chance of developing the disease. "People associate high body weight with conditions like diabetes and heart disease, and a lot of people are not aware of the links between body weight and cancer.

"If you look at these cancers, they include two of the most common, breast and colon, and some of which have very low survival rates, pancreatic and oesophagus. So body weight has a substantial impact on cancers that are common and those that are difficult to treat.

"This is a very important issue. Maintaining a healthy body weight is one of the most important things you can do to prevent cancer after not smoking," Ed Yong of Cancer Research United Kingdom was quoted by 'The Sunday Telegraph' as saying.