6-20-06

Healthy eating to prevent cancer

Being overweight is a risk factor for many kinds of cancer, but those risks can be reduced with weight loss.

Many forms of cancer including breast cancer in older women and colorectal cancer can be linked to being overweight, according to the American Cancer Society. It is estimated that one third of all cancer deaths can be reduced through good nutrition, physical activity and lifestyle changes says Amy Olson, registered dietitian at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield. She explains how the body mass index helps determine whether a person is overweight.

SOUND BITE: "The body mass index is a correlation between your height and your weight to indicate if you tend to be overweight or obese. It’s another risk factor for those health conditions that are linked to being obese. The cut off level is 30. That’s considered obesity level and that doesn’t mean morbidly, grossly overweight."

The American Cancer Society is launching the Great American Eat Right Challenge to help provide practical advice and personalized tips on healthy eating habits. It also offers a calorie calculator and recipes which can be found at www.cancer.org/eatright. Olson says there are some basic changes that can make a difference in weight loss.

SOUND BITE: ". . . choosing the serving of vegetables over the serving of chips, more often than you are doing now. Simple changes can make a big difference. Take one flight of stairs instead of taking the elevator up."

Olson recommends making gradual changes in eating habits and exercise. Individuals who have a lot of weight to lose or have difficulty losing should consult their physician before starting a diet or exercise program.

This is Ruth Slottag at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield.