Over 570,000 people are expected to die from cancer in 2005, and according to a report, more than 60 percent of those deaths could have been prevented if Americans adopted healthier lifestyles. The American Cancer Society said that Americans could realistically cut their cancer death rate in half by:
- Quitting smoking
- Exercising more
- Eating healthier food
- Getting recommended cancer screenings
In 2005, over 1.3 million Americans will learn they have cancer, and of the expected 570, 280 cancer deaths it's estimated that more than 168,000 of those will be caused by tobacco use and one-third will be related to poor nutrition, physical inactivity, being overweight or obese or other lifestyle factors. That makes up 62 percent of all cancer deaths.
To show how an American could, in reality, reduce their death risk from cancer, one expert pointed out that quitting smoking would eliminate about 50 percent of cancer deaths, while maintaining a healthy body weight and exercising would eliminate another 10 percent.
Another fraction would be reduced by regular cancer screenings, as some cancers, such as breast, colon and prostate cancers, are easily treated if caught early on before they spread.
The easiest way to prevent cancer, according to the report, is to stop all use of tobacco. Education, excise taxes on cigarettes and clean air laws have all helped to get the nation's smoking rate down to below 25 percent, however, another major cancer risk, obesity, appears to be harder to slow down.
Experts say making healthy food more easily accessible and increasing physical activity is a step in the right direction to tackling obesity, along with getting schools to remove sodas and other junk foods from their vending machines.
| Adult Cancer Risks |
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As adults, there's still much we can do to cut our cancer risk. Here's how we're doing:
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More than one in four men and more than one in five women still smoke cigarettes.
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Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight. That includes the 30 percent of us who are obese.
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Not quite half of U.S. adults get enough exercise.
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Only about one in four U.S. adults eats five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
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American Cancer Society March 31, 2005 (60-page FREE PDF)