Obesity will likely overtake smoking as the biggest preventable cause of cancer in UK women within 25 years, according to a leading cancer charity.

Cancer Research UK has previously warned of the underappreciated link between being overweight and cancer, and their new report predicts this issue will only become more urgent in coming years.

Excess weight increases the risk of 13 types of cancer, including breast, bowel and kidney cancers.

However, while much has been made of the association between smoking and cancer, the charity says that most of the British public is still unaware of this danger of being overweight.

One study conducted last year found that only one in seven people are aware of the link, and Cancer Research UK is launching a new campaign in a bid to raise awareness.

In March, the head of NHS England warned that the role it played in triggering type 2 diabetes and cancer made obesity “the new smoking”, and said the scale of the response from the health service must match the severity of the problem.

“Obesity is a huge public health threat right now, and it will only get worse if nothing is done,” said Cancer Research UK’s prevention expert Professor Linda Bauld.

13 ways to help prevent cancer Show all 13 1 /13 13 ways to help prevent cancer 13 ways to help prevent cancer Stopping smoking. This notoriously difficult habit to break sees tar build-up in the lungs and DNA alteration and causes 15,558 cancer deaths a year 13 ways to help prevent cancer Avoiding the sun, and the melanoma that comes with overexposure to harmful UV rays, could help conscientious shade-lovers dodge being one of the 7,220 people who die from it 13 ways to help prevent cancer A diet that is low in red meat can help to prevent bowel cancer, according to the research - with 30 grams a day recommended for men, and 25 a day recommended for women 13 ways to help prevent cancer Foods high in fibre, meanwhile, can further make for healthier bowels. Processed foods in developed countries appear to be causing higher rates of colon cancer than diets in continents such as Africa, which have high bean and pulse intakes 13 ways to help prevent cancer Two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables a day were given as the magic number for good diet in the research. Overall, diet causes only slightly fewer cancer deaths than sun exposure in Australia, at 7,000 a year 13 ways to help prevent cancer Obesity and being overweight, linked to poor diet and lack of exercise, causes 3,917 deaths by cancer a year on its own Getty 13 ways to help prevent cancer Dying of a cancer caused by infection also comes in highly, linked to 3,421 cancer deaths a year. Infections such as human papilloma virus - which can cause cervical cancer in women - and hepatitis - can be prevented by vaccinations and having regular check-ups 13 ways to help prevent cancer Cutting back on drinks could reduce the risk of cancers caused by alcohol - such as liver cancer, bowel cancer, breast cancer and mouth cancer - that are leading to 3,208 deaths a year 2014 Getty Images 13 ways to help prevent cancer Sitting around and not getting the heart pumping - less than one hour's exercise a day - is directly leading to about 1,800 people having lower immune functions and higher hormone levels, among other factors, that cause cancers 2011 Getty Images 13 ways to help prevent cancer Hormone replacement therapy, which is used to relieve symptoms of the menopause in women, caused 539 deaths from (mainly breast) cancer in Australia last year. It did, however, prevent 52 cases of colorectal cancers 2003 Getty Images 13 ways to help prevent cancer Insufficient breastfeeding, bizarrely, makes the top 10. Breastfeeding for 12 months could prevent 235 cancer cases a year, said the research AFP/Getty Images 13 ways to help prevent cancer Oral contraceptives, like the Pill, caused about 105 breast cancers and 52 cervical cancers - but it also prevented about 1,440 ovarian and uterine (womb) cases of cancer last year 2006 Getty Images 13 ways to help prevent cancer Taking aspirin also prevented 232 cases in the Queensland research of colorectal and oesophagal cancers - but as it can also cause strokes, is not yet recommended as a formal treatment against the risk of cancer

“The UK government must build on the lessons of smoking prevention to reduce the number of weight-related cancers by making it easier to keep a healthy weight and protect children, as those who are overweight are five times more likely to be so as an adult.”

“That’s why we are raising awareness of the link between cancer and obesity and calling for measures to protect children like a ban on junk food adverts before 9pm and for restrictions on price promotions of ‘less healthy’ products.”

Smoking increases the risk of cancer more than being overweight, but many more people are obese than smoke.

This means that in years to come obesity is set to tip the balance, for women in particular.

Though more men than women in the UK are obese, it has a more harmful effect on women as some of the most common obesity-related cancers mainly affect them, including those of the breast and womb.

Men are also more likely to suffer from smoking-related cancers simply because they are more likely to smoke than women.

The number of cases of preventable “lifestyle cancers” linked to habits like smoking, bad diet and excessive sun exposure have risen by a third in a decade around the world, according to a study released in June.

In the UK, efforts to cut smoking such as banning cigarette displays in shops have proved successful, but experts have urged a similar focus on unhealthy diets and obesity.

“The decline in smoking is a cause for celebration. It shows how decades of effort to raise awareness about the health risks plus strong political action including taxation, removing tobacco marketing and a ban on smoking in indoor public places, have paid off,” said Professor Bauld.