National Obesity Awareness Week 2022

 Health Lifestyles

Up to 50% of cancers can be prevented with healthy lifestyle choices, e.g. not smoking, drinking alcohol, being UV aware, being a healthy weight, being physical active and eating a diet rich in fruit, veg, and fibre, limiting red and processed meat.

Obesity is linked with 9 cancers – oesophagus, colorectal, gall bladder, pancreas, post menopausal breast, endometrium, ovary, kidney, advance prostate.  Obesity is known to be linked with 4.1% of cancers in men, and 6.9% of cancers in women in UK.

When we think of the top 5 cancers for men and women in NI – what are the linked behaviours?

Men                                                                                 Women

NMSC  - UV                                                                     NMSC - UV

Prostate - obesity                                                             Breast – obesity, alcohol

Lung - smoking                                                                 Lung - smoking

CRC - diet, obesity, lack of PA, alcohol                            CRC- diet, obesity, lack of PA, alcohol

Head and Neck  - smoking, alcohol, diet, UV                   Uterus - obesity

Over 70% of all cancers for both men and women are in the top 5.

We should:

• Stop smoking
• Not drink alcohol
• Be a healthy weight
• Eat fruit and veg, a high fibre, low fat diet, limiting red and processed meat
• Be UV aware and not use sunbeds
• Do 150 minutes of activity weekly