Follow-aware
A new study warns that body shape and where fat is stored may contribute to an increased risk of developing one of the fastest growing types of cancer in young people: “colon cancer.”
The research team from six countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, analyzed the health records of nearly 330,000 adults in the British Biobank database, to look at the relationship between height, fat distribution and colon cancer.
The researchers found that people with tall bodies, who are not classified as obese but suffer from a “belly”, were 12% more likely to develop colon cancer compared to the average person.
Fast food and alcohol contribute to the appearance of a “belly” or apple-like body.
It turns out that being tall with equal fat distribution in the body, or short stature and obesity, do not affect the risk of colon cancer.
The study shows that people with body types that store fat in one concentrated area around the intestines were most at risk.
Where body fat accumulates can be a better indicator of cancer risk than BMI alone.
“We believe that the most commonly used indicators of obesity, such as BMI or body fat distribution (such as waist circumference), underestimate cancer risk,” said study author Dr. Heinz Friesling, in collaboration with scientists at the International Research Agency in France.
“Despite their usefulness, these indices lump individuals with a similar BMI but different body shape into the same category, whereas we know that people with the same BMI can have very different cancer risks.”
The team indicated that this increased risk may be due to increased levels of growth hormone, as well as fat that accumulates around areas, such as the breasts, reproductive organs, nerves, and blood vessels.
Excess body fat, also known as adipose tissue, has been shown to cause problems regulating metabolism, inflammation and blood sugar, leading to higher levels of adipokine (adipocyte) hormones, which include leptin, and can be “directly related to the development of cancer.”
The team plans to conduct additional research into potential mechanisms by which body shape influences the risk of colorectal cancer.
The study was published in the journal Science Advances.
Source: Daily Mail