World Cancer Day was February 4th, 2014. The World Cancer Research Fund conducted a poll in which 34% of poll-takers believed that cancer risk is mainly due to family history. If that were true, there would not be much we could do about cancer.
What do the facts show? Only 5-10% of cancers are linked to genetic factors. In other words, cancer is not just about family history. That is a myth. There is a lot we can do to prevent cancer.
Half of the poll-takers were not aware that a person’s diet can impact cancer risk. According to the General Manager of the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), about 1/3 of the most common cancers could be prevented with a healthy weight, healthy diet, and regular exercise.
A Personal Responsibility
Family history should not be ignored. Family history is important to know because cancer can be hereditary. However, whether you have a family history of cancer or not your diet, exercise, and body composition can impact your personal risk of cancer.
Healthy Weight the Healthy Way
After quitting smoking, the WCRF’s top cancer prevention is to be as lean as possible without becoming underweight. When you’re in shape, you build your resistance to diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
The emphasis is not only on weight but also on body composition. Body fatness (especially around the waist), for example, is linked to 15% of pancreatic cancer cases in the UK according to the WCRF.
The evidence linking excess weight with cancer risk is stronger than ever before. Notice some of the cancers excess body weight can provoke:
- Esophagus
- Pancreas
- Colon and rectum
- Breast (especially after menopause)
- Endometrial (lining of the uterus)
- Kidney
- Thyroid
- Gallbladder
There are likely more cancers that can be added to the list. More and more studies are showing that fat cells can bring about excessive release of hormones such as estrogen or growth hormones that are linked to cancers.
How Lean are you?
Test your body fat percentage to find out what percentage of your total body weight is fat and how much is lean body mass. The EnergyFirst Program encourages using one of the most accurate and convenient methods to test body composition—skin fold calipers.
Preserve and build more lean body mass with stable blood sugars and quality protein shakes that fuel effective exercise. Burn fat and build lean muscle with ProEnergy Whey Protein Powder.
