According to figures from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - part of the WHO - the UK has the highest rate of AC cancer in the world for both men and women.
The WHO's figures show that since 2012, there have been 52,000 AC cancer cases worldwide.
The UK had a rate of 7.2 new cases per 100,000 for men and 2.5 per 100,000 for women since 2012.
The results show that men are four times more likely to develop the disease than women in the UK.
Dr Melina Arnold, lead author of the WHO study, explained why obesity rates mean men are at higher risk of AC cancer.
"Men are more likely to have a higher waist circumference, and these particular fat tissues produce hormones that have been suggested to increase the risk of AC," she told the BBC.
A previous study found two thirds (60%) of British adults did not know about the links between cancer and physical activity and 59% were unaware of the correlation between cancer and body weight.
Tam Fry, a spokesperson from the The National Obesity Forum, said the deaths in the UK from gullet cancer were "a tragedy" and should be seen as a warning that obesity can lead to "devastating conditions".
Lifestyle Risk Factors For Cancer
Smoking(01 of11)
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It's no surprise smoking is the number one thing to avoid in order to prevent cancer. It's responsible for 30 per cent of all cancer deaths, and smoking can increase the risk of lung cancer, for example, by nine times. (credit:Hemera Technologies via Getty Images)
Secondhand Smoke(02 of11)
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Even if you don't smoke, you can be affected by those around you. People who are near smoking are 1.4 times more likely to get lung cancer than others. (credit:CMSP via Getty Images)
Excess Body Weight(03 of11)
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Not having a healthy body weight (defined generally as a BMI of lower than 25) can increase your risk for a variety of cancers, including esophageal, uterine, liver, kidney, pancreatic, breast and colorectal cancer. (credit:bowie15 via Getty Images)
How You Eat(04 of11)
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It's a big yes for veggies and fruit, as well as fibre, but red and processed meat is what you want to avoid. While eating lots of fibre, for example, can help reduce colorectal cancer risk, eating the meats can increase it. (credit:Maximilian Stock Ltd. via Getty Images)
Drinking(05 of11)
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Drinking any type of alcohol — at all — increases your risk for head/neck, esophageal, colorectal, breast and liver cancer (and potentially pancreatic too). You can decrease the risk by keeping your alcohol use confined to one drink a day for women, and two for men. (credit:Roy Mehta via Getty Images)
Physical Activity(06 of11)
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Getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day is what you should be aiming for. Otherwise, you're at risk for colorectal cancer and could be setting yourself up for lung, uterine and breast cancer. (credit:Brent Winebrenner via Getty Images)
How Much You Sit(07 of11)
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We've heard about many ways in which sitting is bad for your health, but this could be the scariest one. Sitting too much (which is different from having physical activity) can increase your risk for colorectal, uterine, ovarian and prostate cancer. (credit:Science Photo Library via Getty Images)
UV Radiation(08 of11)
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Any type of tanning increases your risk for skin cancer — up to 64 per cent more for squamous cell carcinoma. (credit:Bruce Yuanyue Bi via Getty Images)
Viruses(09 of11)
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Hepatitis B and HPV both increase the risk for cancer, but there are vaccines that can help prevent them. (credit:Martin Botvidsson via Getty Images)
Radon(10 of11)
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The presence of radon gas is associated with an increased risk for lung cancer — test your home to see if it's there. (credit:Zirafek via Getty Images)
Hormones(11 of11)
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This one is a double-edged sword. For women taking HRT post-menopause, it can increase the risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer, but may help decrease the risk for colorectal cancer. Birth control pills, meanwhile, have been associated with an increased risk for breast, cervical and liver cancer, but a decreased risk for uterine and ovarian cancer. If you're concerned, talk to your doctor about options. (credit:Stephan Zabel via Getty Images)