WCRF International’s 1st Cancer Prevention Recommendation: Maintain Healthy Weight

The World Cancer Research Fund International conducted a global research program looking for factors that contributed to increasing the rate cancer. The global research indicated that around a third of the most common cancers can be prevented by eating a diet that was high in fruits & vegetables and that minimized or eliminated the consumption of red meat and processed foods.

Regular exercise and not being overweight or obese were also equally important factors in preventing cancer. A good job has been done in linking smoking tobacco and increased cancer risk, but not such a good job has been done linking increased cancer risk with the types of foods we consume, the amount of food we eat, and the lack of regular exercise.

Most people don’t understand that they do have control over cancer risk and that cancer is not determined solely by genetics or some uncontrollable factors.

Research indicated a strong association between excessive weight with increases in cancer risk that included bowel cancer, breast cancer, kidney cancer, liver & gallbladder cancer, oesophageal cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancer.

The organization has developed recommendations that address 10 key areas that include”

1. Body fatness
2. Physical activity
3. Foods & drinks that promote weight gain
4. Plant foods
5. Animal foods
6. Alcoholic drinks
7. Preservation, processing & preparation
8. Dietary supplements
9. Breastfeeding
10. Cancer survivors

The World Cancer Research Fund International’s first recommendation is to maintain a healthy body weight. This means to be as lean as possible within the normal range for one’s height determined by national governments or the World Health Organization
.

The key point is to be as “lean as possible” within the normal range and not to be at the end of the normal range. WCRF International’s public goal for body mass index (BMI) is between 21 and 23.

The National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) chart identified the maximum healthy BMI to be up to 24 as compared to the 23 by WCRF International. NIH’s starting range for healthy BMI is 19 compared to WCRF International’s 21. A BMI between 19 and 23 is likely to be a better BMI for preventing cancer. It is also better to maintain body weight within the normal range from age 21 onward.

Tags: anti-cancer, bmi, cancer awareness