Lifestyle Affects Cancer Risk

One of my sisters-in-law is fond of telling me to "Choose wisely".  Unfortunately, when it comes to lifestyle, we Americans have not been making the best choices.  Studies have demonstrated that a healthy lifestyle can improve all-cause mortality, diabetes risk, erectile function, and stroke risk.  And despite study after study demonstrating the benefits of regular physical activity, we still succumb to our inertia.

So in an attempt to mimic Don Quixote tilting at windmills, let me point out a collaborative Annual Report to the Nation that was published yesterday by the American Cancer Society, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the National Cancer Institute, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries.  Their conclusion?  After reviewing data from 1975-2008, excess weight (whether just overweight or actually obese) and insufficient physical activity (<150 minutes/week) increase one's risk of cancer and decrease quality of life for cancer survivors.

Don't become a statistic but putting your head in the proverbial sand like an ostrich and ignoring all the evidence.  If you don't do something about your lifestyle, you're bound to suffer the consequences.

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