1. Maintaining a healthy weight is important for health.
In addition to lowering the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and high blood pressure, it can also lower the risk of many different cancers.
Be physically active as part of your everyday life - walk more and sit less. If you have a sedentary job take special care to build exercise into your everyday life.
2. Exercise regularly.
Physical activity has been shown to lower the risk of several types of cancer, including breast, endometrium, prostate, and colon cancer. It also reduces the risk of other serious diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
Adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity (equal to a brisk walk) or 75 minutes of vigorous activity (makes your heartbeat and breathing faster, and makes you sweat) each week, preferably spread throughout the week.
Kids should get at least 1 hour of moderate- or vigorous-intensity activity each day, with vigorous activity at least 3 days a week.
3. Eat a healthy diet.
Studies show that eating a variety of different vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and fish or poultry is linked with a lower risk of developing certain cancers. On the other hand, eating more processed and red meat is linked with a higher risk of developing certain cancers. The American Cancer Society recommends:
Eating at least 2½ cups of vegetables and fruits each day
Eating less red meat (beef, pork, and lamb) and less processed meat (bacon, sausage, luncheon meats, and hot dogs)
Choosing breads, pastas, and cereals made from whole grains instead of refined grains, and brown rice instead of white
4. Limit Consumption of "fast foods"
There is strong evidence that diets containing greater amounts of 'fast foods' and other processed foods high in fat, starches or sugars, and consuming a 'Western type' diet are causes of weight gain obesity.
This increases the risk of excess energy intake relative to expenditure. Greater body fatness is a cause of many cancers
5. Limit alcohol consumption - For cancer prevention, it's best not to drink alcohol. There is strong evidence that consumption of alcoholic drinks is a cause of cancers of the mouth, pharynx and larynx, oesophagus (squamous cell carcinoma), liver, colorectum, breast (pre- and postmenopause), and stomach.
6. Get regular cancer screening tests. - Regular screening tests can catch some cancers early, when they're small, have not spread, and are easier to treat. With cervical and colon cancers, these tests can even prevent cancer from developing in the first place. Talk with your doctor about the tests for breast, cervical, colon, lung, and prostate cancers.
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