The biggest contributing lifestyle factors according to research are obesity and smoking. And as many as one-third of the most common cancer cases could be prevented through clean eating, exercise and good weight management.

A new guide released by the World Cancer Research Fund gives tips for small changes that could dramatically decrease the incidence of this disease. There is strong evidence that being overweight increases the risk of 10 cancers: bowel, esophagus, pancreas, kidney, womb, breast, ovary, gallbladder, prostate (advanced) and liver. We could prevent about one in six of these cancer cases by maintaining a healthy weight.

Six simple ways to reduce the risk of cancer by healthy weight management:

1. Find your starting point and see where you really stand. One of the easiest ways to find out if you’re at a healthy weight is to check your Body Mass Index (BMI). This tells you whether you’re in the healthy weight range for your height, so it’s a useful guide for most adults. A healthy BMI for men and women is between 18.5 and 24.9.

2. Take control of your snacking, as just reducing your daily calorie intake by 100 calories can make a big difference. Swap sweets, potato chips or fried foods for alternatives like a piece of fruit or veggie sticks. Vegetables and fruits are the foundation of a healthy diet, and it is still recommended that we eat at least five portions of each every day. Try something new and delicious like cucumber hummus with dill.

3. Change up portions of the foods on your plate. Try making the larger part be vegetables and the smaller portion be meat, fish or a vegetable-based protein. Most diets make the meat portions the biggest part of the meal. The benefit of less calories consumed is great, but you will also save money implementing this strategy.

 

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