Reducing the risk
Making some simple changes to your lifestyle can significantly
reduce your risk of developing cancer. Eating a healthy diet,
taking regular exercise and avoiding smoking will all help to lower
your risk.
body weight and cancer
Keeping a healthy body weight is one of the best ways to help
reduce your risk of cancer. Current levels of overweight and
obesity in the UK could lead to around 19,000 cases of cancer each
year.
regular exercise
Keeping physically active can help you reduce the risk
of breast and bowel cancer and the more active you are, the more
you can reduce your risk of cancer.
By participating in 30 minutes of moderate activity a day,
five days a week, can have a positive effect on your health.
smoking
Tobacco is the single largest preventable cause of cancer in the
world today. It causes 80-90% of all lung cancer deaths.
stay safe in the sun
One blistering sunburn in childhood more than doubles the
chance of developing skin cancer in later life.
Skin cancer has more that doubled in the last 10 years and is
now the most common cancer in 15 - 24 year olds.
Stay safe in the sun by:
- seeking shade and covering up when the sun is at its
strongest
- always wear a minimum of SPF 15 sunscreen
- apply sunscreen approximately 30 minutes before you go out in
the sun
- reapply sunscreen every 2 hours
diet
Reports from experts demonstrate that approximately a quarter of
all cancer deaths are caused by unhealthy diets and obesity.
You can reduce your cancer risk by eating a healthy, balanced
diet that is high in fibre, fruit and vegetables and low in red and
processed meat, saturated fat and salt.