Tight Belts Linked to Serious Illnesses - East Idaho News

Tight Belts Linked to Serious Illnesses

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GETTY 10713 TightBelt?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1381144536911iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Belt-tightening is one way to keep your pants up but it also might be doing you irreparable harm, according to Scottish doctors.

In fact, a tight belt may lead to throat cancer, particularly if someone is overweight.

The physicians from two Scottish universities and one hospital studied 24 volunteers and took measurements with an internal probe after the participants ate meals both while wearing and not wearing a belt.

Interestingly, those who wore their belts tight experienced acid reflux, a major cause of esophageal cancer.  While the stomach can deal with acid, reflux damages the gullet and over the long term, can cause cancer.

The acid reflux even occurred in healthy volunteers but was more evident in overweight people wearing their belts too tight.

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