“This is the first study to explore at which ages excess body weight predisposes an individual to pancreatic cancer. With our epidemiological research, we aimed to demonstrate the relationship between BMI (body mass index) and risk of pancreatic cancer across a patient’s life span and determine if there was a time period that specifically predisposes an individual to the disease” said Donghui Li, a professor of medicine at the University of Texas.

The study also examined the link between BMI (which is calculated according to a person’s weight and height), cancer occurrence and the chances of survival among patients. It was found that found that obese youths 14 to 19 years of age had a 60% higher chance of developing pancreatic cancer than did their less overweight peers.

It also found that obese individuals between 20 to 40 years of age were 2 to 3 times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer, but the risk leveled off for those who gained the weight in their 40s and was statistically insignificant for those 50 and above.

Finally, the study also found that obese or overweight individuals were more likely to develop pancreatic cancer earlier on their lives, not later.