Stay Lean, Active And Watch What You Eat To Avoid Cancer, New Report

Stay Lean, Active And Watch What You Eat To Avoid Cancer, New ReportA report issued by an international panel of experts says that the best way to significantly reduce the risk of getting cancer is to be lean, exercise vigorously every day, avoid fast food, eat less red meat, and avoid preserved meat such as ham and bacon, eat more plant-based foods and cut down on alcohol.The panel said that diet and lack of exercise cause one third of all cancers which could be prevented by changes in lifestyle. However, the overriding message from the detailed 537-page report titled "Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer", issued by the World Cancer Research Fund, is the strong link between obesity and cancer risk.Sir Michael Marmot, who is professor of epidemiology and public health at University College London, chaired the expert panel that reviewed 7,000 papers on the causes of cancer and consulted 200 experts worldwide. He said "the most striking thing to emerge from the report is the importance of overweight and obesity".Another panel member who chairs the International Obesity Task Force based in the UK, Dr W Philip T James, said the report had one message that was "as clear as a bell". The link between cancer and obesity is "so robust, it is going to rank close to the smoking problem in America pretty soon".The panel comprised 21 internationally renowned experts in cancer, epidemiology, obesity, nutrition, and public health, backed by teams of observers.However, the message does not stop with obesity. Every extra pound brings greater cancer risk says the report. Even if you are in the normal range of weight for your height, there is a significant difference between being in the lower weight region and being in the higher weight region.In terms of BMI (Body Mass Index), the panel recommends people stay within 18.5 and 25, which is the lower part of the "healthy" zone. BMI is a measure of obesity that divides the person's weight in kilograms by the square of the height in metres. Thus a person who weighs 150 pounds (68 kilograms) and stand 5 feet 9 inches tall (1.8 metres) has a BMI of 22.1, which is in the lower half of the healthy zone, as recommended by the panel.Too much body fat is a risk factor for oesophagal, pancreatic, endometrial, bowel, kidney and post-menopausal breast cancers said the report. And excess abdominal fat also increases risk of bowel cancer.The panel concluded that people should stay lean throughout their lives, young people should avoid piling on the pounds and stay slim. One panel member said he was "shocked" when he realised this.