Obesity & the esophagus.

Climbing obesity rates may explain why cancers of the upper stomach and lower esophagus--both deadly--are on the upswing.

In a study that tracked more than 41,000 people for an average of 11 years, the obese (people with a Body Mass Index of 30 or higher) were nearly four times more likely to be diagnosed with those cancers than people of normal weight (a BMI less than 25).

(Examples: You'd have a BMI of 30 if you were 5'4" and weighed 174 pounds or 5'9" and weighed 203 pounds. You'd have a BMI of 25 if you were 5'4" and weighed 145 pounds or 5'9" and weighed 169 pounds.)

A big belly holds the most danger. The risk of cancer was three times higher for people with the largest waists (at least 40 inches for men or 35 inches for women) than for those with the smallest waists (less than 37 inches for men or 31 inches for women).

Researchers speculate that obesity may promote esophageal and upper-stomach cancer by raising pressure within the abdomen. The extra pressure may cause stomach acid to leak back into the esophagus (acid reflux), making the cells that line the esophagus more like cells that line the intestine, which increases the risk of cancer.

What to do: Eat less and move more to lose or avoid gaining weight.

International Journal of Cancer online (doi: 10.1002/ ijc.21638)