A large study of more than 2.6 million adults in Catalonia, Spain linked being overweight or obese to an increased risk for 18 different forms of cancer. While previous research found an association between obesity and 13 types of cancer, the new study, published in Nature Communications, uncovered five more, including leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, head and neck cancers among non-smokers, and bladder cancers that were not previously thought to be influenced by obesity.

According to the New York Post, this increased risk for cancer begins when people are young, between the ages of 18 and 40. Previous studies have shown that people who are overweight or obese have a heightened risk of a number of different cancers including breast, bowel, kidney, and pancreatic. But the new study found that excess weight increases your risk of five more cancers.

“The results of our study support a re-evaluation of the cancer burden associated with overweight and obesity, which is currently underestimated,” said Heinz Freisling, co-author of the new study. The research involved data from 2.6 million men and women ages 40 and younger who were cancer-free in 2009.

During the nine year study, scientists analyzed the body mass index, or BMI, scores of the participants  and determined that 225,396 individuals were diagnosed with cancer, says the Independent. Participants who were overweight or obese in early adulthood — ages 40 and younger — were found to have an increased risk of cancer. Those who were overweight or obese for a longer period also appeared to have a higher risk. The researchers found that having a BMI of 25 or higher led to a greater risk of developing 18 types of cancer.

“Our own evidence shows that maintaining a healthy weight throughout life is one of the most important things people can do to reduce their cancer risk, and early prevention in adulthood is key,” said Freisling.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the 13 types of cancer previously linked to overweight and obesity are cancer of the esophagus, breast cancer in women who have gone through menopause, cancer of the colon and rectum, uterus, gallbladder, upper stomach, kidneys, ovaries, pancreas, thyroid, meningioma (a type of brain cancer) and multiple myeloma.

“This study has future public health implications since additional cancers, such as leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma have now been shown to be linked with overweight and obesity,” said Panagiota Mitrou, director of research, policy, and innovation at the World Cancer Research Fund.