Leading occupational health providers, Medigold Health, has compiled 7 tips employees can follow to help prevent cancer. These include;
1. Eating a balanced diet
Stories about various foods and diets linked to preventing cancer are often in the news, because there is a lot of research going into diet and cancer.
No single food or supplement can prevent cancer from developing, but research shows a link between eating certain food groups (rather than any specific foods) and a reduction in cancer risk.
2. Maintaining a healthy body weight
Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of cancers such as, bowel cancer, pancreatic cancer, oesophageal cancer, breast cancer (for women that have been through the menopause), cancer of the womb (uterus) and kidney cancer.
Being a healthy weight can reduce your risk of developing cancer.
3. Staying physically active
There is evidence that being physically active can reduce your risk of bowel and breast cancer and also endometrial cancer (cancer of the uterus). It is not known exactly how physical activity reduces the risk of these cancers, but research shows that regular exercise helps to keep your hormone levels healthy. Having high levels of some hormones can increase your cancer risk.
Physical activity also helps you to maintain a healthy weight, which in turn reduces the risk of cancer.
4. Drinking less alcohol
Drinking alcohol is known to increase the risk of some cancers including, mouth cancer, pharynx or larynx cancer, oesophageal cancer, colorectal cancer in men (cancer of the rectum or colon) and breast cancer. It is probably a cause of other cancers as well, such as colorectal cancer in women and liver cancer.
To reduce your risk, if you drink most weeks – men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week and if you drink as much as 14 units a week to spread your drinking over 3 days or more.
5. Stopping smoking
Lung cancer is responsible for around a quarter of cancer deaths in the UK and 90% of lung cancer cases are related to smoking.
6. Protecting your skin from sun damage
Taking care in the sun so that you don’t get burned is important for preventing skin cancer. Keep an eye on any moles or freckles you have – if they change at all (for example, get bigger or begin bleeding) then see you GP, as this can be an early sign of cancer.
7. Knowing your body
It is important to know your body and recognise any potential symptoms of cancer, such as lumps or unexplained bleeding, and to get advice from your GP about whether they might be of concern.
Improving workplace health
Paying more attention to the physical health and fundamental needs of staff and encouraging them to make such lifestyle changes can make a big difference to general health in the workplace. If your employees are looking after themselves well they are more likely to meet targets and less likely to take time off due to stress and anxiety.
Having provided many businesses with occupational health advice and support, Medigold Health is an expert in workplace health which means, if your employees are struggling with mental health problems or physical illness, we can help. We can also help you put preventative measures in place so you can spot the warning signs are there before they become a bigger issue.
Contact Medigold Health today to find out how we can help improve the health of your staff.