Latest news with #BMI
The Sun
15 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
Key body measurement linked to 18% greater risk of bowel cancer – are you at risk?
WITH bowel cancer rates rising in younger adults around the world, experts are desperately searching for possible causes. Risk factors like diet, alcohol and smoking could be explanations, say experts. Now, researchers have found being overweight as a child, teenager and young adult is linked to higher risk of bowel cancer in later life. A higher birth weight was also associated with an increased chance of developing the disease, according to the new study. Experts in the Netherlands reviewed 37 studies on body weight in early life and the risk of colorectal cancer - also known as bowel cancer - in adults. Cancer is a complex disease which develops over several decades, so better understanding of its early origins is critical for more effective prevention efforts and understanding the research gaps The research, which is published in the International Journal of Cancer, found an increase in BMI of 5kg/m2 heightened the risk of bowel cancer by 12 per cent in people aged 18 to 25. In youngsters aged 10 to 19, an increased BMI was linked to a 5-18 per cent risk of developing the disease, while in children aged two to nine, BMI was linked to a higher risk of colon cancer. Meanwhile, each 1kg increase in birth weight was linked to a 9 per cent bowel cancer risk, the study found. Dr Dieuwertje Kok, associate professor of nutrition and cancer at Wageningen University & Research, said: "Although the relationship between adult body size and colorectal cancer risk is well-documented, the potential influence of measures of body size during early life is less understood. "The team was excited to review results from 37 publications that explored birth weight, as well as body mass index across different early life stages. "This study bridges the existing knowledge gap and enhances our understanding of how early life factors may affect colorectal cancer risk in adults." Popular drink is 'doubling' risk of bowel cancer in adults who have more than two per day Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, with almost 44,000 new diagnoses every year. Dr Helen Croker, assistant director of research and policy at the World Cancer Research Fund, added: "Cancer is a complex disease which develops over several decades, so better understanding of its early origins is critical for more effective prevention efforts and understanding the research gaps. "The results of this study show that raised body mass index across childhood through young adulthood is an important risk factor for colorectal cancer." To help keep your child's BMI in check, focus on promoting a healthy, balanced lifestyle that includes a nutritious diet and regular physical activity. Prioritise fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and dairy (or dairy alternatives). Reduce or eliminate sweets, sugary cereals, and sugary drinks. And encourage at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily for school-aged children. Diet Eat a balanced diet: Prioritise fruits, vegetables, and wholegrains, which are rich in fibre. Limit red and processed meat: Reduce your intake of these, and consider swapping for chicken or fish. Consider adding more calcium: Research suggests that an extra 300mg of calcium per day, from sources like milk or calcium-fortified plant milks, may be beneficial. Avoid excessive sugar and fat: Limit sweets, cakes, crisps, and fizzy drinks. Physical activity Be active regularly: Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week. Lifestyle choices Maintain a healthy weight: Being overweight or obese increases bowel cancer risk. Limit alcohol intake: Excessive alcohol consumption is linked to increased risk. Quit smoking: Smoking is a known risk factor for various cancers, including bowel cancer. Bowel cancer screening Take part in screening programmes: The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme offers screening for those over 50 in England and Wales and over 50 in Scotland.
Daily Mail
20 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Doctors discover vital new clue in search for cause of mystery bowel cancer explosion in under 50s
Being overweight as a child, teenager, and young adult has been found to increase your chances of developing bowel cancer as an adult, new research suggests. If you were born at a higher weight you are also more likely to develop the disease, the study found. This research plays an important role in better understanding the early origins of cancer, because it is a complex disease which develops over several decades. In young people between the age of 10 and 19, an increased BMI was linked to was linked to a 5-18 per cent risk of developing the disease, while in children aged two to nine, BMI was linked to a higher risk of colon cancer. Meanwhile, each 1kg increase in birth weight was linked to a nine per cent bowel cancer risk, the study found. Dr Dieuwertje Kok, associate professor of nutrition and cancer at Wageningen University & Research, said: 'Although the relationship between adult body size and colorectal cancer risk is well-documented, the potential influence of measures of body size during early life is less understood. 'The team was excited to review results from 37 publications that explored birth weight, as well as body mass index across different early life stages. 'This study bridges the existing knowledge gap and enhances our understanding of how early life factors may affect colorectal cancer risk in adults.' Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, with almost 44,000 new diagnoses every year. The analysis is part of World Cancer Research Fund International's Global Cancer Update Programme. Experts in the Netherlands reviewed 37 studies on body weight in early life and the risk of colorectal cancer – also known as bowel cancer – in adults. Dr Helen Croker, assistant director of research and policy at the World Cancer Research Fund, added: 'Cancer is a complex disease which develops over several decades, so better understanding of its early origins is critical for more effective prevention efforts and understanding the research gaps. 'The results of this study show that raised body mass index across childhood through young adulthood is an important risk factor for colorectal cancer.'
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Being overweight as a child and young adult linked to bowel cancer risk
Being overweight as a child, teenager and young adult has been linked to a higher risk of bowel cancer in adulthood, researchers suggest. A higher birth weight was also associated with an increased chance of developing the disease, according to a study. Experts in the Netherlands reviewed 37 studies on body weight in early life and the risk of colorectal cancer – also known as bowel cancer – in adults. Cancer is a complex disease which develops over several decades, so better understanding of its early origins is critical for more effective prevention efforts and understanding the research gaps The research, which is published in the International Journal of Cancer, found an increase in BMI of 5kg/m2 heightened the risk of bowel cancer by 12% in people aged 18 to 25. In youngsters aged 10 to 19, an increased BMI was linked to a 5-18% risk of developing the disease, while in children aged two to nine, BMI was linked to a higher risk of colon cancer. Meanwhile, each 1kg increase in birth weight was linked to a 9% bowel cancer risk, the study found. Dr Dieuwertje Kok, associate professor of nutrition and cancer at Wageningen University & Research, said: 'Although the relationship between adult body size and colorectal cancer risk is well-documented, the potential influence of measures of body size during early life is less understood. 'The team was excited to review results from 37 publications that explored birth weight, as well as body mass index across different early life stages. 'This study bridges the existing knowledge gap and enhances our understanding of how early life factors may affect colorectal cancer risk in adults.' Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, with almost 44,000 new diagnoses every year. The analysis is part of World Cancer Research Fund International's Global Cancer Update Programme. Dr Helen Croker, assistant director of research and policy at the World Cancer Research Fund, added: 'Cancer is a complex disease which develops over several decades, so better understanding of its early origins is critical for more effective prevention efforts and understanding the research gaps. 'The results of this study show that raised body mass index across childhood through young adulthood is an important risk factor for colorectal cancer.'
CNBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
'Premature' to call end of U.S. exceptionalism with GCC countries increasing investments there: BMI
Cedric Chehab, Chief Economist at BMI, discusses ASEAN-GCC-China trade relations and adds increased trade within the group does not constitute an "outright pivot" away from trade with the United States.
Medscape
2 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
Prenatal Exposure, Maternal Factors Drive Childhood BMI
Maternal factors, including high maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), high weight gain during pregnancy, and smoking, were associated with an atypically high BMI trajectory in children, based on data from nearly 9500 children. Childhood obesity remains a major risk factor for chronic health complications throughout life, and identifying modifiable early-life factors may help guide interventions and prevention, wrote Chang Liu, PhD, a psychologist at Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, and colleagues. 'This study allowed us to identify children following unhealthy growth trajectories as early as age 3.5 years and identify the point where BMI starts to show rapid changes such as adiposity rebound, creating crucial opportunities for intervention before obesity becomes established,' Liu said in an interview. In a study published in JAMA Network Open , the researchers analyzed data from the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) cohort from January 1997 to June 2024. The final study population included 9483 children (approximately half were boys) from 23 longitudinal pediatric cohorts in the United States and Puerto Rico born between 1997 and 2019. The primary outcome was childhood BMI. The researchers categorized the children into two BMI trajectories, typical and atypical, using a novel model based on BMI shifts over time. Children with a typical trajectory (8477 children; 89.4%) showed linear BMI decreases to 6 years of age, followed by linear increases from age 6 to 9 years. Children with an atypical trajectory (10 children; 6%) showed early stable BMI from age 1 to 3.5 years, followed by rapid linear increases from 3.5 to 9 years. The researchers assessed prenatal exposures to smoking, alcohol, and stress (depression or anxiety) as well as maternal characteristics of prepregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain, and child characteristics of preterm birth, birth weight, and breastfeeding. The analysis used a multiphase latent growth mixture model to identify qualitative shifts in BMI during childhood that have not been addressed in previous studies, the researchers noted. At 9 years of age, the atypical group had a mean BMI of 26.2, higher than the 99th percentile. Prenatal smoking, high prepregnancy BMI, high gestational weight gain, and high birth weight were significantly associated with the atypical trajectory. The findings were limited by several factors, including the clinical utility of the researchers' multiphase model, which the researchers described as 'more computationally intensive than traditional methods of identifying abnormal childhood growth patterns.' Other limitations included the use of BMI values that may show variations in levels of adiposity based on age and sex, the lack of control for some social determinants of health, and incomplete data on BMI during school age and some perinatal exposures, the researchers wrote. Implications and Research Gaps Despite these limitations, the study identified factors that increase the risk for childhood obesity, and addressing these factors could help redirect unhealthy BMI trajectories, the researchers concluded. 'Without intervention, children exhibiting high BMI trajectories during childhood are more likely to develop overweight or obesity as adolescents and adults and are at higher risk for a range of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases throughout their lifetimes,' Liu told Medscape Medical News . Although examination of developmental pathways that lead to unhealthy vs healthy BMIs is crucial to identify modifiable early life factors, 'the challenge has been that most previous research couldn't pinpoint exactly when children's growth patterns start going off track,' Liu said. Opportunities for clinicians include helping women of reproductive age achieve healthy weight and smoking cessation before pregnancy, supporting appropriate gestational weight gain during pregnancy, and closely monitoring children who show early signs of non-declining BMI patterns, especially those with identified risk factors, Liu said. Further studies are needed to examine the biological mechanisms linking these early-life factors to different childhood BMI trajectories, Liu told Medscape Medical News . 'Additionally, research is needed to understand how social and environmental factors contribute to the racial and ethnic disparities we observed in growth patterns,' she said. 'Future work should test whether interventions targeting these modifiable factors during critical developmental periods can successfully help children maintain healthier growth trajectories,' Liu added. Expanding Awareness of Obesity Risk Early identification of risk for pediatric obesity can be crucial to minimizing disease morbidity and mortality, said Charles Hannum, MD, a general pediatrician at Tufts Medical Center, Boston, in an interview. The current study not only confirms previously known risks but also adds new information to help pediatricians identify young children who would benefit from a more nuanced approach to growth monitoring and who may also benefit from a more robust prevention strategy for obesity, he said. The data also show how maternal factors and the pregnancy environment influence child health, said Hannum. 'Lastly, this study is from a large, diverse population group, making the study conclusions more generalizable to the population of the United States,' he said. Although some of the study findings were known, such as the association between childhood obesity and prenatal smoking, the current study adds the dimension of how that risk connects to the child's growth trend over time, said Hannum. 'The growth trend is often how pediatricians monitor this risk anecdotally,' he said. The associations between BMI trajectory and modifiable risks are not unexpected, but they help support the assumptions clinicians often make about obesity risk and can inform more focused and individually tailored prevention strategies, he noted. The data can help support both public health initiatives and clinical practice at the individual level, Hannum told Medscape Medical News . For pediatricians, the findings support starting obesity prevention strategies early and monitoring children who have an at-risk BMI trajectory more frequently, he noted. When children do not follow a trajectory of decreased BMI from early to late toddlerhood, even if a BMI is normal, 'we now have evidence that they have an increased risk for developing obesity, and this knowledge may help to prevent some cases of pediatric obesity,' Hannum said. Add More Variables in Further Research The current study's limitations include missing and incomplete data and possible challenges when applying the trajectories to broad, diverse populations, given the complex contributors to pediatric obesity, Hannum told Medscape Medical News . More clarity is also needed on when and how to prioritize prevention strategies in the setting of additional obesity risk factors, Hannum added.
