(Daily Mail) Your body shape could be putting you at extra risk of one of the fastest growing cancers in young people, a study warns.
Colon cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the US, with roughly 150,000 new cases projected for 2024 and 50,000 deaths.
Rates among people under 50 have surged in recent years, with doctors warning that alcohol, junk food and sedentary lifestyles raise the risk.
Now, a study has found that people’s body types and where they store fat – as opposed to how much they have – also play a role.
Researchers from six countries, including the US and UK, found that people who were ‘generallt obese,’ as well as those who were taller with increased belly fat, were at the highest risk of colorectal cancer
The team suggested that having more fat around the midsection could disrupt processes like metabolism and blood sugar, increasing cancer risk
Being ‘generally obese’ – which is typically defined as having a BMI over 30 – was linked to 10 percent higher risk of colon cancer than people of healthy weight.
But the researchers found that tall body types not defined as obese but who had a beer belly shape were 12 percent more likely to get colon cancer than the average person.
And women were at a greater risk then men of the same shape, with an 18 percent greater risk.
Junk food, alcohol, and a sedentary lifestyle all contribute to a beer belly or more apple-shaped body. It’s unclear if this body type specifically has become more common, though obesity is on the rise in the US.
CDC data suggests that 40 percent of Americans are obese, and about 69 percent are overweight or obese. According to Harvard University, obesity rates in the US have doubled since 1980, which could be one explanation for the rise in colorectal cancer in young people.
Meanwhile, those who were tall with fat more evenly distributed, such as on their arms, legs, and breasts, or those who were short and stout had the lowest risk.
Overall, the former had a three percent increased risk, while the latter was five percent.
The researchers said that the findings show that people with body types that store fat in one concentrated area around the gut were at the highest risk.
They added that where fat accumulates in the body could be a better indicator of cancer risk than BMI alone.
Data from JAMA Surgery showed that colon cancer is expected to rise by 90 percent in people ages 20 to 34 by the year 2030. Doctors are not sure what is driving the mystery rise
