A high body mass index (BMI) is an independent risk factor for colon cancer death, and the association is stronger and more linear in men than in women, according to results of a prospective study published this month in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
This 12-year study found that in men, the rate for colon cancer death increased steadily with BMI. IN men whose BMI was greater than 32.5, the rate of dying from colon cancer was 90 percent greater. In women whose BMI was higher than 32, the death rate from colon cancer was increased by almost 30 percent.
Alcohol intake significantly modified the relationship between BMI and colon cancer death rates in women. Among women who drank one drink per day and those who drank at least two drinks per day, a BMI of at least 30 was a more than twofold increased risk of dying from colon cancer.
To calculate your BMI go to the Body Mass Index Calculator at www.lesliebeck.com/health_tools_index.php
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