Frequent overeating poses risks beyond weight gain — it can also lead to dangerous gastrointestinal pathologies. According to the Kazakh Research Institute of Oncology and Radiology, about 3,000 cases of stomach cancer are detected in Kazakhstan each year, and nearly 60% of patients seek medical help too late, infohub.kz reports.
According to surgical oncologist Abai Dzhumanov, frequent overloading of the stomach disrupts its motility and increases the risk of chronic inflammation of the mucosa, reflux, and the formation of precancerous changes.
The doctor explains that in the long term, such conditions can contribute to the development of stomach cancer.
"That is why it is so important to develop mindful eating habits and not ignore symptoms," Dzhumanov noted.
The Kazakh Research Institute of Oncology and Radiology explains that the stomach is elastic, but regular overeating robs its walls of their resilience. As a result, the organ loses its ability to contract normally and move food through the gastrointestinal tract.
Consequently, food stays inside longer than it should, digestion is disrupted, and a person begins to feel heaviness even after a small portion.
Oncologists note that excess pressure in an overfilled stomach presses on the esophageal sphincter — the muscular ring that is supposed to keep food inside. The valve gives way and lets stomach acid, along with undigested food, flow back upward. This causes a burning sensation behind the breastbone, heartburn, and sour belching. Regular episodes of such reflux are quite dangerous, as they gradually damage the walls of the esophagus.
Symptoms worth paying attention to include: heartburn, reflux, loss of appetite; a feeling of rapid fullness; constant heaviness in the upper abdomen; nausea; pain; weight loss; anemia, weakness, and rapid fatigue.
In the later stages, vomiting with blood, black stools, and severe pain appear.
Earlier, Kursiv wrote that cancer screening coverage in Kazakhstan has risen to 41.7%.