Healthy living offers no guarantee that you will never have cancer, but it can greatly reduce your risk, according to a new study published in the British Journal of Cancer.
Cancer Research UK found 14 different lifestyle factors – ranging from smoking, to lack of exercise, eating too much salt, not having babies, drinking too much and being overweight – to have contributed to four out of every ten cancers diagnosed in the UK.
The new research helps dispel myths that cancer is either hereditary or just ‘luck of the draw.’
In a complex set of research studies, scientists calculated how many cancers and which type could be attributed to each of 14 lifestyle factors. Smoking was the biggest factor, causing nearly one in five of all cancers.
“We didn’t expect to find that eating fruit and vegetables would prove to be so important in protecting men against cancer. And among women we didn’t expect being overweight to have a greater effect than alcohol,” said study author Professor Max Parkin.
The World Cancer Research Fund did a similar study in 2007 and came up with recommendations for how to reduce cancer risk by eating less red meat, exercising more and staying slim.
"By making small changes we can cut our risk of serious health problems – give up smoking, watch what you drink, get more exercise and keep an eye on your weight,” said Public Health Minister Anne Milton.
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