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Watch Your
Weight, Cut Your Cancer Risk
(CNN) -- The American Cancer Society said Thursday that keeping weight
under control is the most important thing you can do to prevent the
disease.
In revised guidelines, the society put top priority on diet and
fitness, saying that eating a nutritious diet, staying active and
limiting alcohol are the top things American should do to fight cancer.
The guidelines are published Thursday in CA: A Cancer Journal for
Clinicians. (Watch how fitness can cut cancer risk -- 1:53 Video)
One-third of the more than 500,000 cancer deaths each year are
attributable to poor diet and no physical activity, the cancer society
said. That's about the same number of cancer cases caused by smoking.
Research has long shown that colon, rectal, stomach, breast , prostate
and pancreas cancers are related to diet. New studies indicate that for
most nonsmokers, weight control can cut other cancer risks.
"There is evidence that losing weight can reduce the risk for
postmenopausal breast cancer, and because of hormonal changes that
occur with weight loss, there's reason to believe it's beneficial for
other cancers as well," said Colleen Doyle, director of
nutrition and physical activity at the American Cancer Society
and a co-author of the new guidelines.
The guidelines also say that the standard recommendation -- 30
minutes of moderate exercise five days a week -- is still good, but it
works better with with more strenuous activities such as biking,
running or power walking.
Doyle said it's time people understand they have a say in the future of
their health. "Unfortunately, there's no guarantee. You can do all
those things and still get cancer. But the good news is that a lot of
people think they don't have any control over their risk of cancer and
we're
here to tell people that absolutely you do have some control."
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