Around 12,000 cases of cancer each year are caused by people being overweight or obese, according to a new study published in The Lancet medical journal.

The scientists hope that the research – the largest of its kind – will inspire politicians, medical experts and health providers to take more action against the growing problem of obesity.

Looking at data provided by GP records on 5.24 million individuals over the age of 16, researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and the Farr Institute of Health Informatics were able to define who was overweight and who wasn’t, using a method to calculate BMIs.

They were then able to detect that out of 22 of the most common cancers, 17 of the illnesses had the problem of excess weight associated with them.

The findings showed the strongest links came in the cancer of the womb, with excess weight being responsible for 41 per cent of cases.

Elsewhere, being overweight was found to be responsible for 10 per cent or more in cases of gall bladder, kidney, liver and colon cancer.

"If we could magically remove excess weight from the population, we would have 12,000 fewer cancers," said study leader Dr Krishnan Bhaskaran, National Institute for Health Research Postdoctoral Fellow at the LSHTM.

"The number of people who are overweight or obese is rapidly increasing both in the UK and worldwide. It is well recognised that this is likely to cause more diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

“Our results show that if these trends continue, we can also expect to see substantially more cancers as a result."

Other research has recently highlighted the potential negative impact obesity can have on the function of the brain ,while industry experts, including Health Club Management editor Kate Cracknell, have called for a change in perception to help tackle the crisis of inactivity in the UK.