According to the National Cancer Institute, obesity and physical inactivity may account for as much as 30 percent of breast, colon, uterine, kidney and esophageal cancers.
“The good news is that obesity is a risk factor that we can control through diet and exercise. The bad news is not enough of us are doing so,” say researchers at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa, Florida.
“After not smoking, the two best things people can do to lower their risk of cancer is to get regular exercise and eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables,” advises Dr. Thomas Sellers, associate center director for cancer prevention and control at Moffitt. “So the take-home message is that we should be jogging from salad bar to salad bar and eating foods that are low in fat and high in nutrients and fiber.”
For some cancers, it’s not just how much weight you gain, but where you carry it. People who accumulate fat around their waists, studies show, may be at higher risk for certain cancers than those who carry it in their hips and thighs. Excess weight also can reduce the chances of surviving certain cancers.
There is no mystery cure for being overweight. The trick is to find the right “energy balance” between the body’s intake of calories in the form of food and expense of calories through physical activity. Dr. Sellers recommends exercising at least 30 minutes a day, five or six days a week, and adds that a 30-minute walk is just about as healthy as sweating on an elliptical trainer.

EXERCISE AND CANCER

Regular exercise can reduce the risk of certain cancers, according to a recent report by an expert panel commissioned by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund.
This international report took five years to complete and is the result of a systematic review of more than 7,000 studies pertaining to diet and cancer risk.
The expert panel of reviewers cited “convincing evidence” that physical activity reduces the risk of colon cancer. The panel also reports evidence of a probable reduction in risk for post-menopausal breast cancer, prostate and endometrial cancer with increased physical activity.
Obesity is a major risk factor for a number of diseases, but the cancer-fighting properties of exercise are more complicated than simply controlling weight gain. “There are different ways that physical activity affects our bodies,” explains Kathryn Allen, a registered dietitian and manager of Nutrition Therapy at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL. “It could strengthen our immune systems,” she suggests. “It also could help cancer-fighting foods work more effectively.
“Exercise could speed the digestive process,” Allen says, “so the harmful substances we eat have less contact with the colon lining.”
Scientists don’t know all there is to know about how and why exercise prevents cancer, but the take-home message is clear: Eat a low calorie, plant-based diet and get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.
“That’s a minimum,” notes Allen. “As you become better conditioned, your body adapts.” She recommends 60 minutes a day of moderate activity or 30 minutes a day of vigorous activity.
“Vigorous” means activities such as running or working out at a gym. Moderate exercise could be taking a brisk walk or working in the garden.
Regular and moderately vigorous exercise also reduces the overall risk of heart attack and stroke by lowering blood pressure, reducing weight and raising levels of “good” cholesterol, Allen adds.

Articles courtesy of H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute.
For more information on cancer prevention, research and screening, visit:
www.moffitt.org or call 1-888-MOFFITT (1-888-663-3488)