Obesity has been proved to increase the risk of several diseases including coronary artery disease, diabetes, dyslipidemia, stroke etc. New to join this group is pancreatic cancer, one of the most dreaded cancers with median survival rate of 3-6 months post diagnosis. The five year survival is less than 5%. Statistics reveal pancreatic cancer to be the fourth leading cause of death in United States. Previous studies had demonstrated increased risk of pancreatic cancer in obese (BMI > 30) and overweight (BMI= 25-30) individuals. (Note: BMI represents body mass index which is weight of individual divided by square of the person’s height)
In a study reported in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), researchers affiliated with the UT-MD Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston have found that obesity during early adulthood was associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer. Moreover obese group suffered from earlier onset of pancreatic cancers compared to non-obese group. This association between body weight and pancreatic cancer was stronger in men and smokers and was independent of diabetic status. The researchers explain that being overweight provides a favorable environment for tumor growth by providing growth promoting hormones.
This study underscores the importance of having appropriate weight in the early adulthood (14 to 39 years). So its time you increase your physical activity and take responsible diet
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