ref: American Cancer Society
How much do daily habits like diet and exercise affect your
risk for cancer? Much more than you might think. Research has shown that poor
diet and not being active are 2 key factors that can increase a person’s cancer
risk. The good news is that you do something about this.
Besides quitting smoking, some of the most important things
you can do to help reduce your cancer risk are:
• Get to and stay at a healthy weight throughout life.
• Be physically active on a regular basis.
• Make healthy food choices with a focus on plant-based
foods.
The evidence for this is strong. The World Cancer Research
Fund estimates that about 20% of all cancers diagnosed in the US are related to
body fatness, physical inactivity, excess alcohol consumption, and/or poor
nutrition, and thus could also be prevented.
Control your weight.
Getting to and staying at a healthy weight is important to
reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases, such as heart disease and
diabetes. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of several cancers,
including those of the breast (in women past menopause), colon and rectum,
endometrium (the lining of the uterus), esophagus, pancreas, and kidney, among
others.
Being overweight can increase cancer risk in many ways. One
of the main ways is that excess weight causes the body to produce and circulate
more estrogen and insulin, hormones that can stimulate cancer growth.
What’s a healthy
weight?
One of the best ways to get an idea if you are at a healthy
weight is to check your Body Mass Index (BMI), a score based on the
relationship between your height and weight. Use our easy online BMI calculator
to find out your score.
To reduce cancer risk, most people need to keep their BMIs
below 25. Ask your doctor what your BMI number means and what action (if any)
you should take.
If you are trying to control your weight, a good first step
is to watch portion sizes, especially of foods high in calories, fat, and added
sugars. Also try to limit your intake of high-calorie foods and drinks. Try writing
down what and how much you eat and drink for a week, then see where you can cut
down on portion sizes, cut back on some not-so-healthy foods and drinks, or
both!
For those who are overweight or obese, losing even a small
amount of weight has health benefits and is a good place to start.
Be more active.
Watching how much you eat will help you control your weight.
The other key is to be more physically active. Being active helps reduce your
cancer risk by helping with weight control. It can also help improve your
hormone levels and the way your immune system works.
More good news – physical activity helps you reduce your
risk of heart disease and diabetes, too! So grab your athletic shoes and head
out the door!
The latest recommendations for adults call for at least 150
minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity each
week, or an equivalent combination, preferably spread throughout the week. This
is over and above usual daily activities like using the stairs instead of the
elevator at your office or doing housework. For kids, the recommendation is at
least 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous intensity activity each day, with
vigorous intensity activity occurring at least 3 days each week.
Moderate activities are those that make you breathe as hard
as you would during a brisk walk. This includes things like walking, biking,
even housework and gardening. Vigorous activities make you use large muscle
groups and make your heart beat faster, make you breathe faster and deeper, and
also make you sweat.
It’s also important to limit sedentary behavior such as
sitting, lying down, watching television, or other forms of screen-based
entertainment.
Being more physically active than usual, no matter what your
level of activity, can have many health benefits.
Eat healthy foods.
Eating well is an important part of improving your health
and reducing your cancer risk. Take a good hard look at what you typically eat
each day and try these tips to build a healthy diet plan for yourself and your
family:
Choose foods and
drinks in amounts that help you get to and maintain a healthy weight.
• Read food labels to become more aware of portion sizes and
calories. Be aware that “low-fat” or “non-fat” does not necessarily mean
“low-calorie.”
•Eat smaller portions when eating high-calorie foods.
• Choose vegetables, whole fruit, legumes such as peas and
beans, and other low-calorie foods instead of calorie-dense foods such as
French fries, potato and other chips, ice cream, donuts, and other sweets.
• Limit your intake of sugar-sweetened beverages such as
soft drinks, sports drinks, and fruit-flavored drinks.
• When you eat away from home, be especially mindful to
choose food low in calories, fat, and added sugar, and avoid eating large
portion sizes.
Limit how much
processed meat and red meat you eat.
• Limit your intake of processed meats such as bacon,
sausage, lunch meats, and hot dogs.
• Choose fish, poultry, or beans instead of red meat (beef,
pork, and lamb).
• If you eat red meat, choose lean cuts and eat smaller
portions.
• Prepare meat, poultry, and fish by baking, broiling, or
poaching rather than by frying or charbroiling.
Eat at least 2½ cups of vegetables and fruits each day.
• Include vegetables and fruits at every meal and snack.
• Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits each day.
• Emphasize whole fruits and vegetables; choose 100% juice
if you drink vegetable or fruit juices.
• Limit your use of creamy sauces, dressings, and dips with
fruits and vegetables.
Choose whole grains
instead of refined grain products.
• Choose whole-grain breads, pasta, and cereals (such as
barley and oats) instead of breads, cereals, and pasta made from refined
grains, and brown rice instead of white rice.
• Limit your intake of refined carbohydrate foods, including
pastries, candy, sugar-sweetened breakfast cereals, and other high-sugar foods.
If you drink alcohol,
limit how much
People who drink alcohol should limit their intake to no
more than 2 drinks per day for men and 1 drink per day for women. The
recommended limit is lower for women because of their smaller body size and
slower breakdown of alcohol.
A drink of alcohol is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces
of wine, or 1½ ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits (hard liquor). In terms of
cancer risk, it is the amount of alcohol, not the type of alcoholic drink that
is important.
These daily limits do not mean it’s safe to drink larger
amounts on fewer days of the week, since this can lead to health, social, and
other problems.
Reducing cancer risk
in our communities
Adopting a healthier lifestyle is easier for people who
live, work, play, or go to school in an environment that supports healthy
behaviors. Working together, communities can create the type of environment
where healthy choices are easy to make.
We all can be part of these changes: Let’s ask for healthier
food choices at our workplaces and schools. For every junk food item in the
vending machine, ask for a healthy option, too. Support restaurants that help
you to eat well by offering options like smaller portions, lower-calorie items,
and whole-grain products. And let’s help make our communities safer and more
appealing places to walk, bike, and be active.
The bottom line
Let’s challenge ourselves to lose some extra pounds,
increase our physical activity, make healthy food choices, limit alcohol, and
look for ways to make our communities healthier places to live, work, and play.