One night on TV news, for instance, you might hear that fish is good for you. The next night, another report might roar that fish poisons you. Oy vey! Too often, we feel a great Cloud of Confusion engulfing even the simplest of nutrition questions.
That’s why a large recent review on lifestyle habits and cancer prevention is so important. It is not based on one small media-sensationalized study. Rather, this review has distilled the findings of more than 7,000 studies into one 517-page statement, and it is supported by the top health organizations worldwide, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization
Titled “Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective” and coordinated by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute of Cancer Research, the review is the result of a five-year examination by a panel of 21 distinguished scientists from all over the world.They didn’t start from scratch, either. This is the second edition (the first edition was published in 1997) of a volume that Dr. Gail Harrison, UCLA researcher and member of the Institute of Medicine, calls “the Bible of Nutrition and Cancer.”
There’s more good news. The report outlines 10 key lifestyle recommendations that offer powerful means of reducing risk for many, perhaps most cancers. And those 10 recommendations closely resemble what you’re already following – the Pritikin Program.So to optimally prevent cancer, there’s no need to get caught up in the latest chaos on the nightly news. There’s no need to wonder if you’re doing the right thing. You are.
Below are the report’s 10 guidelines to prevent cancer:
“Maintenance of a healthy weight throughout life may be one of the most important ways to protect against cancer,” stated the independent panel of 21 leading scientists from institutions worldwide, including the University of Pennsylvania, University College London, Kyushu University in Japan, and Harvard School of Public Health.
A key message throughout the 517-page report is that there’s much we can do to control cancer risk. That’s important to stress. Many people recognize they have the power to reduce heart disease risk, but they think of cancer as this big bad ogre that pounces out of nowhere.
That just isn’t so. “Evidence shows that only a small proportion of cancers are inherited. Environmental factors are most important and can be modified,” concluded the international panel of experts. “Food, nutrition, physical activity, and body composition play a central role in the prevention of cancer.”
Being as lean as possible within the normal range from age 21 is optimal for cancer protection, but at any time in life, it helps to lose weight if you’re overweight, stated the panel. Even a 5 to 10% weight loss can be important.
“All forms of physical activity protect against some cancers as well as against weight gain,” wrote the WCRF/AICR cancer report.Optimally, the report advised, aim for moderate activity, like brisk walking, which essentially means walking as though you have somewhere to go (and you’re running a little late).
As fitness improves, aim for 60 minutes or more of moderate activity – or for 30 minutes or more of vigorous physical activity – every day.