Excess Weight at Age 20 Triples the Risk of Stomach Cancer

Physical fitness and health awareness are growing rapidly everywhere in the world. People are relatively more conscious about their body and health. According to World Health Organization, still most of the world's population lives in countries where overweight and obesity kill more people than underweight. 39 percent of population, aged 18 or more were over weight as per a survey by WHO in 2014. Obesity is the root cause of most of the diseases due to its adverse effects on our respiratory system, metabolism, circulatory system, etc. Keeping a regular check of your body weight and maintaining it according to your age, height and body structure is essential for protection against many health related problems. Obesity can increase the risk of developing diabetes, joint pains, arthritis, make it difficult for women during pregnancy, so on and so forth. Along with all the harms of obesity known to mankind for ages, a new study has found that being overweight at the age of 20 may lead you to stomach cancer.The study revealed that excess of weight during the early 20s puts one at an increased risk of developing cancer of either the esophagus or upper stomach in adulthood by three times. The results concluded that people who are overweight at the age of 20 are nearly 60-80 percent more likely to develop these cancers in later life, compared to those who maintained a healthy weight throughout life. It also mentioned people who gain more than 20 kg during adulthood were also twice as likely to develop esophageal cancer compared to people who had minimal or no weight changes. Being overweight can also trigger long-term reflux problems and heartburn that can lead to cancer.
 
Obesity or over weight leads to change in the levels of sex hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone, because levels of insulin to rise, and lead to inflammation - all of which are factors responsible for cancer risk, the researchers said.Study's Lead Author Jessica Petrick, National Cancer Institute, Maryland (US) said, "The study highlights how weight gain over the course of our lives can increase the risk of developing these two cancer types, both of which have extremely poor survival rate." The team pooled data from more than 400,000 people and analyzed their reported height and weight at ages 20 and 50 for the research. This study highlights the importance of keeping a healthy weight throughout life to reduce the risk of developing cancers. Sweat your way out of that excess body weight to maintain a healthy lifestyle for reducing the risk of cancer, suggested the research.
With Inputs from IANS