New Lifestyle Guidelines to Reduce Cancer Risk

Cancer deaths in this country continue to claim almost 600,000 lives each year, making cancer the second leading cause of death behind cardiovascular disease. In fact, one in four deaths is from some form of cancer. The most frequently diagnosed new cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, include cancers of the breast, prostate, lung, colon and rectum.

The American Cancer Society updated their prevention guidelines after a thorough review of new scientific evidence. Here is a summary of major lifestyle guidelines for cancer prevention.

Exercise recommendations to help manage body weight and reduce cancer risk:

• 150-300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise
• 75-150 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity exercise
• For kids: 1 hour of physical activity each day with reduced screen time

Healthy eating recommendations to lower cancer risk include:

• Eat MORE of fruits, vegetables and whole-grains
• Avoid ALL alcohol
• Eat LESS red and processed meats, sweetened beverages (sodas, fruit drinks, etc.) and highly processed foods such as snack foods, packaged desserts, etc.

Up to 20% of all cancer cases are impacted by three modifiable risk factors: excess body weight, low physical activity, and alcohol consumption. The prevention recommended lifestyle changes of losing weight, increasing exercise, and moving to a more plant-centered diet are also beneficial for the vascular system.

It is a good long term/lifetime approach to make one or two changes at a time. If you are a bit weak on your vegetable intake, perhaps strive for a non-starchy vegetable daily, or a serving at both lunch and dinner. If you regularly drink alcohol, move it to only one drink per day for women and two drinks for men - at the most.

The American Cancer Society suggests providing local opportunities for these lifestyle habits to flourish. People need access to affordable nutritious foods, and safe places to be physically active like walking trails and community parks.

More cancer prevention information at www.cancer.org.

About the Author

Rita Smith is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. She's been working in the field of nutrition and disease prevention for more than 35 years and currently works at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, Va. Each week, Rita provides nutrition counseling to clients who have a variety of disorders or diseases including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, gastroparesis and weight management. For these clients, food choices can help them manage their health problems.