Scientists as Cancer Research UK conducted a study in order to investigate why obese people would like to lose weight and what would be their main motivation for doing this. Surprisingly, research found out that more overweight people would like to get slimmer out of vanity, not for cutting risks of getting to suffer from various types of cancer.

Out of the about 4,000 overweight people involved in the study, 48% said they would like to lose weight so that they would look good and be admired by the others. Only 34% of the subjects said they'd wish they got slimmer so that they'd lower chances of severe diseases and cancer. However, at least 2 in 3 people said that cutting on body fat presents the advantage of reducing heart disease risk.

"This research provides a real insight into the priorities many of us have when it comes to looking after our bodies and the low awareness of the link between obesity and cancer. We know for those who don't smoke, maintaining a healthy body weight is one of the most important things we can do to reduce our risk of cancer," commented Dr Lesley Walker, director of Cancer Information at Cancer Research UK.

The overall conclusion of the study was that despite the fact that obesity rates are continuously increasing in UK, only a small number of British individuals are aware of the negative consequences extra body weight has on health. Some of the severe disorders brought about by obesity are: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke and many types of cancer, such as womb, breast, bowel, stomach, esophageal or kidney cancer.

"It is alarming is that so many people are unaware that reducing cancer risk is a benefit of maintaining a healthy body weight. We need to continue raising awareness of the dangers of obesity, and offer information to help people lose those extra pounds," stated for BBC Professor Jane Wardle, director of Cancer Research UK's Health Behavior Unit.