An Increase in Colon Cancer in Younger Adults

Colon cancer previously was almost universally an upper middle age - elderly person disease.  One of the reasons being is that it usually takes between 20-25 years for cells to go from dysplasia to polyp to a tumor.  That is why colon cancer screenings are generally only every five or ten years.  In recent years, the medical profession has witnessed an increase in the diagnosis of colon cancer between younger adults that are aged 20-34.

What are some risk factors for colon cancer?

Below are some of the main risk factors for developing colon cancer, in no particular order of importance:

1.  Smoking
2.  Age
3.  Inflammatory bowel disease
4.  Improper diet
5.  Diabetes
6.  A sedentary, inactive lifestyle
7.  Excessive alcohol intake
8.  Family history

What has changed in recent times?

Due to increased knowledge about the risks of tobacco use, a significantly lower percentage of the population smokes than before 1970.    Age is not a factor in this context, since we are looking specifically at the increase in the younger age group.

The answer is most likely found in a combination of factors 4-6.  Today's children are generally more sedentary than previous generations, as they have more electronic and automated entertainment available to them.  While such recreation stimulates the brain, and should definitely not be eliminated nor discouraged, time should also be made for plenty of physical activity.

In recent decades, there has also been an exponential increase in the consumption of processed foods.  Frozen dinners, packaged foods that are laden with additives, preservatives have become a much larger part of the standard diet.  Chemical processing destroys the majority of the nutrients contained in food.  Since the government pushed food pyramid in the 1970's, the bread/cereal group has been put at the base of many modern diets.  This food group contains mostly simple carbohydrates, which produce a vicious cycle of insulin spikes and valleys, along with an increase in appetite; simple carbs are easily and more readily digested than complex carbs, proteins, and fats, which will result in the emptying of the stomach much earlier, increasing appetite and resulting in excessive food intake.  Insulin spikes, combined with obesity, result in a much higher risk of diabetes.  The increase in type 2 diabetes has also been noted in younger adults of the same age group, as well as children.  The nutritional and exercise habits developed as children can play a significant role in your health as an adult.  Children who develop type 2 diabetes are at a much greater risk for a whole plethora of diseases by the time they reach their thirties, colon cancer being one of them.

Related articles:

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/19578/20141106/young-adults-in-u-s-face-increasing-risk-of-colon-cancer.htm
http://news.yahoo.com/colon-cancers-may-increasing-among-young-adults-230932386.html