Obesity
Australians better heed a new study which linked obesity to stomach cancer. In early April, a new study found that the number of obese people jumped to 621 million in 2014 from 105 million in 1975. The study also showed that Aussie men are in 6th place and women in 9th place in global obesity ranking. That study, and a new one, released on Thursday by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and World Cancer Research Fund, should be a red flag for people with weight problems. The research identified three factors that increase the risk of developing stomach cancer. These are being overweight, eating processed meat and drinking alcohol. The report says drinking three or more alcoholic drinks, or more than 1.5 ounces of pure alcohol, per day, every day, boosts the risk of stomach cancer. That risk is more apparent in males, smokers and ex-smokers. For processed meats, the study says the risk is boosted for every 1.8 ounces, or 50 grammes, eaten per day, every day. The amount is equivalent to one hot dog daily. Besides hiking the risk of cancers of the lower stomach by 18 percent, the finding added current evidence on processed meat increasing the risk of colorectal cancer. Being obese or overweight was linked with cancers of the upper stomach. The finding brought to 11 the types of cancers linked to carrying excess body fat. The risk grew by 23 percent for every five unit addition in Body Mass Index, reports Fortune. Stomach cancer is the fifth—most common cancer globally and the third-biggest cancer killer with 1 million new cases diagnosed each year. By avoiding too much drinks and processed food and trimming excess weight, about 4,000 new stomach cancer cases annually could be avoided, the study points out. With the study linking obesity to 11 types of cancer, Alice Bender, head of Nutrition Programs at AICR, stresses, “This report is a real wake-up call.” She notes that there are steps which people could take to prevent cancer and achieve better health. Reuters/Jacky Naegelen

Australians better heed a new study which linked obesity to stomach cancer. In early April, a new study found that the number of obese people jumped to 621 million in 2014 from 105 million in 1975. The study also showed that Aussie men are in 6th place and women in 9th place in global obesity ranking.

That study, and a new one, released on Thursday by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and World Cancer Research Fund, should be a red flag for people with weight problems. The research identified three factors that increase the risk of developing stomach cancer.

These are being overweight, eating processed meat and drinking alcohol.

The report says drinking three or more alcoholic drinks, or more than 1.5 ounces of pure alcohol, per day, every day, boosts the risk of stomach cancer. That risk is more apparent in males, smokers and ex-smokers.

For processed meats, the study says the risk is boosted for every 1.8 ounces, or 50 grammes, eaten per day, every day. The amount is equivalent to one hot dog daily. Besides hiking the risk of cancers of the lower stomach by 18 percent, the finding added current evidence on processed meat increasing the risk of colorectal cancer.

Being obese or overweight was linked with cancers of the upper stomach. The finding brought to 11 the types of cancers linked to carrying excess body fat. The risk grew by 23 percent for every five unit addition in Body Mass Index, reports Fortune.

Stomach cancer is the fifth—most common cancer globally and the third-biggest cancer killer with 1 million new cases diagnosed each year. By avoiding too much drinks and processed food and trimming excess weight, about 4,000 new stomach cancer cases annually could be avoided, the study points out.

With the study linking obesity to 11 types of cancer, Alice Bender, head of Nutrition Programs at AICR, stresses, “This report is a real wake-up call.” She notes that there are steps which people could take to prevent cancer and achieve better health.

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