Susannah Brown, science program manager for the World Cancer Research Fund International, explains why a person’s height affects cancer risk.
He was quoted as saying by the TimesofIndia, “The most important thing to remember is that it is not a person’s height itself – namely the distance from your head to your feet – that increases your risk of cancer.
“Rather, it’s the process your body goes through to get you high that’s linked to cancer.
“In other words, a person’s final adult height is a visual representation of the growth process that a person’s body goes through from conception to adulthood.
“This process is influenced not only by their genes, but also by developmental modifiable factors (e.g. insulin-like growth factor, insulin-like growth factor, growth hormone, and sex hormones such as estrogen) in utero, and during childhood and adolescence.”
“Thus, height should be considered simply as a marker, or indicator, of the entire continuum of events and experiences from conception to adulthood – and identifying what aspects of this process influence cancer risk,” he added.