Weight Gain and Later Motherhood Tied to Higher Breast Cancer Risk – International Edition

Key Takeaways

• Significantly higher breast cancer risks arise when weight gain is combined with late motherhood.

• Women have almost triple the risk of developing breast cancer if they become overweight during adulthood and postpone having children until after the age of 30.

• Becoming a young mother can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.

On Wednesday, May 14, 2025 (https://Positivibemind.com/News), new research indicates that substantial weight gain coupled with postponing or skipping motherhood can increase a young woman’s risk by almost three times for potential health issues down the line. breast cancer According to a recent study, this is what we learn.

Women had a 2.7-fold higher likelihood of developing breast cancer if they:

• Experienced over a 30% increase in body weight since turning 20 years old.

• Some postponed having their first child until they were over 30 years old, while others decided not to have children at all.

Lead researcher stated that our study is the first to determine how weight gain and the age at which a woman has her first child together influence her likelihood of developing breast cancer, Lee Malcomson , a research associate at the University of Manchester in the UK, stated in a press release.

"It is crucial for general practitioners to understand that women who gain substantial weight and have their first child at an advanced age—or, conversely, do not have children—face a significantly higher risk of developing this condition," he stated.

In this research, the scientists examined information from approximately 48,500 women who were part of a major mammography study. These participants had an average age of 57 years and their mean Body Mass Index (BMI), a measure estimating body fat using height and weight, stood at 26, classifying them as overweight.

The researchers requested them to remember their weight at age 20 and determined their weight gain since then by comparing it with their present weight.

On average, the women were tracked for approximately six years, and throughout this duration over 1,700 of them received a diagnosis of breast cancer.

The findings indicated that having an initial pregnancy at an earlier age reduces the risk of developing breast cancer after menopause, despite the higher likelihood of increased body weight associated with such pregnancies.

However, postponing pregnancy while gaining weight raises the likelihood of developing breast cancer later on, according to research findings.

"In England, the percentage of women who are obese or overweight rose from 49% in 1993 to 59% in 2021, and the number of women having children at an older age has consistently risen over the last half-century," Malcomson stated.

“Meanwhile, diagnoses of breast cancer in women are at their highest ever rate,” he continued. “More information about how age of motherhood and weight gain affect the risk of breast cancer, would allow us to better work out who is most at risk of the disease and target lifestyle advice accordingly.”

The researchers shared these discoveries at the European Congress on Obesity held in Málaga, Spain, on Saturday.

Results shared at medical conferences ought to be seen as tentative until they appear in a peer-reviewed publication.

More information

The American Cancer Society provides further information on this topic. breast cancer .

European Association for the Study of Obesity, press release, May 9, 2025

How This Affects You

Women ought to discuss with their physician how factors such as their weight and past pregnancies could influence their likelihood of developing breast cancer.