Being Taller Makes You Closer to the Sun?

by WiredBerries Editors — March 14, 2008

According to the International Journal of Cancer, tall women are more likely than shorter women to develop melanoma. In addition, weight gain is a risk factor. However, it's not clear why height could contribute to risk of the disease noted Dr. Catherine M. Olsen of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Herston, Australia and her colleagues. But they did find that taller women are also at greater risk of colon and breast cancer.

Olsen and her team looked at eight past studies involving a total of 2,083 women with melanoma and 2,782 healthy controls to examine how body size might influence risk of the disease. The tallest one-fourth of individuals in the study were 30 percent more likely to have melanoma than shorter women, the researchers found. In addition, putting on 2 kilograms or more in weight boosted melanoma risk by 50 percent. Risks associated with height and weight gain were strongest among women younger than 50.

The study states that there are a number of possible explanations for how height could influence skin cancer risk. For example, height could be a marker for nutrition during childhood and adolescence. Height could also be related to hormones that may play a role in the development of cancer or it may even be that taller women tend to spend more time in the sun.

Regardless, taking good care of yourself is the best way to stay healthy.