Excess body weight is the greatest risk factor for cancer after smoking. About one third of the population is currently overweight and about a quarter are obese. It is estimated that about 15% of breast and bowel cancer could be prevented by maintaining a healthy weight – that’s around 6000 cancers a year in the UK. If we look at all the cancers where excess bodyweight is known to increase risk (postmenopausal breast, bowel, womb, ovary, oesophagus, gallbladder, pancreas, kidney, liver, advanced prostate) 17% (about 23,000) could be prevented each year in the UK if we were all within the healthy weight range.
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Professor Ashley Adamson is a Professor of Public Health Nutrition at Newcastle University and weight loss advisor to the “Hairy Bikers”!
When planning to lose some weight….
Professor Naveed Sattar is a Professor of Metabolic Medicine at the University of Glasgow
Key points…
If you are gaining weight or finding it difficult to lose weight when eating a healthy diet, it may well be that the size of the portions you are eating are too big. Over the years, portion sizes have definitely become bigger – even regular portions, never mind large or supersize!
One study found that modern portion sizes of popular foods added an extra 50-150 calories. While that might not sound like too much, an extra 100 calories per day can pack on an extra 10 pounds of weight in a year!
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Losing weight is not about getting rid of all the things you enjoy in your diet. Making small changes which you still enjoy make it much more likely you will be able to maintain your new habits and keep the weight from creeping back on in the longer term.
Read more for 10 simple choices you can make to get healthy.
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The British Heart Foundation have a great store of healthy recipes to help you along your way. The principles of heart health are the same as those for lowering your risk of cancer so go on, take care of all parts of your body with these nutritious offerings. If you are struggling to know what to cook for tea look no further. You can also buy one of three cookbooks – Everyday British recipes, Everyday Spice or Quick and Healthy Recipe Books.
Visit BHF recipe finder
Cancer Research UK is an established cancer charity with an emerging interest in cancer prevention. They have loads of good evidence based advice on how to lead a life which will stack the odds against you getting cancer. They, like us, advise “Small changes you can stick with help keep weight off for good.”
Visit CRUK
European Code against Cancer 4th Edition: Obesity, body fatness and cancer
If you would like more information about Taking action to be a healthy body weight
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