Korean scientists have discovered that a higher body mass index has not only negatives, but also one advantage – it reduces the risk of developing prostate cancer. Researchers from Seoul National University (Seoul National University) studied the relationship between a person’s body weight and the risk of developing prostate cancer. 3113 men who underwent a biopsy for diagnostic purposes took part in the study. As a criterion for physical condition, scientists used the body mass index (BMI). The index is used to determine the normal weight values ​​and, accordingly, the degrees of obesity in different individuals. In the past, the Broca index was used for this purpose with a basic formula: height in cm – 100 = Normal weight. However, this index can only be applied to people of average height and is inapplicable to very short and very tall individuals. BMI is believed to be more accurate and more informative. For men, normal values ​​are those between 20-25, and for women between 19-24. BMI is equal to weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. The study participants were divided into several categories depending on their weight and body mass index. In the first group were men with an index below 23 kg/m2 (929), in the second those with BMI 23-24.9 kg/m2 (999), in the third with 25-29.9 kg/m2 (1140) and in the fourth with an index above 30 kg/m2 (45). A malignant prostate tumor was found in 1071 of the participants, and poorly differentiated tumors (7 points on the Glisson scale or more) – in 377 patients. A careful analysis of the data showed that a body mass index that is greater than or equal to 25 kg/m2 lowers the risk of developing a malignant tumor by 31%, and the probability of an aggressive form of the tumor is 45% lower. than the volunteers, with a lower BMI. The authors of the study, however, clarify that their study did not take into account the negative influence of additional factors such as lifestyle, eating habits, physical activity, etc. “In cases where the BMI is higher but does not reach the obesity limit, the risk of prostate cancer is lower, as well as the danger of complications and metastases. “Differences in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Asian and Western men may to some extent explain the different incidence of this type of cancer between the two regions,” the authors of the study explain. The results of the study were published in the journal Urology on June 22, 2010.