by Dave Franklin

Created on: May 03, 2009

It is common knowledge that excess body fat can cause health problems, including the increased risk of cancer in the colon, kidney, pancreas, esophagus and uterus, as well as breast cancer in post-menopausal women. Cancer has long been seen as something that we have no cotrol over, almost a grim lottery, but this is simple not the case as there are many preventative measure, dietry choices and lifestyle changes that we can adopt to help minimise the riscks. And these risks are fairly simple to adapt to any lifestyle. Briefly there are eight main points that can form the basis of a diet and healthy regime that are thought to be symptomatic with avoiding cancer.

1.Be as lean as possible within the normal range of body weight.

Tests in non-humans suggests that it is not the intake of calories but the retention of those calories that increases the risk of cancer. That is that it is not the amount of food you eat but the amount that remains unburned over time in the body. This leads to the conclusion that you can eat any volume of food you like provided you live a lifestyle active enough to leave you without excess calories hanging on the body. This is fairly obvious and really is a good routine to adopt even if cancer is not your worry.

2.Be physically active as part of everyday life

Leading on from the above point, constant changes in body weight but stress on the body, better to maintain the same weight through balancing your calorific dietry intake with energy burning. Again a general good tip for everyone anyway. Simply put a moderate intake of food balanced with a moderatly physical lifestyle is a good thing to aim for. Being physically active can mean anything from walking instead of take the car, right up to going to the gym every few days. Find something that suits your life, even simple exercise can make all of the difference.

3.Limit consumption of "energy-dense foods," foods that are high in calories, fat and sugar. Avoid sugary drinks.

Most foods provide us with energy (calories), but some foods contain more energy weight-for-weight than others. Foods that contain a lot of calories are known as energy-dense foods. They tend to be high in fat and/or sugar and can contribute to weight gain, obesity and cancer. By choosing a diet based on lower energy-dense foods, you can actually eat more food but consume fewer calories. Lower energy-dense foods are high in water and fibre and help us feel fuller for longer. High sugar content foods and drinks should be avoided

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