Obesity increases the risk of cancer

You can do that to reduce your cancer risk

Many people today lead an inactive lifestyle. From the office chair it goes for many directly on the sofa and there is hearty food - the kids do it. This is also reflected in the rapidly rising quota of obese people. Currently, about 60 percent of all adults in Germany are considered overweight, 25 percent even as obese. More than every seventh child also weighs too much. What many do not know is that overweight increases the risk of developing cancer. The German Cancer Aid warns in this context that overweight favors at least 13 cancers.

The good news is that you can do many things yourself to reduce obesity and cancer risk. "Treat yourself to a health-conscious year in 2019 with a balanced, calorie-conscious diet and plenty of exercise," advises the CEO of German Cancer Aid Gerd Nettekoven in a press release. This not only good for body and soul, but also reduce the risk of developing cancer.

Additional motivation to lose weight

The experts of the German Cancer Aid warn that obesity is now one of the most important causes of cancer after smoking. It is known that excess body fat promotes at least 13 cancers, including colon cancer, breast cancer, and esophageal cancer.

Sugar is hidden everywhere

A common problem these days is that there are tons of sugar in many processed products without consumers being aware of it. Not only in the obvious calorie bombs such as sweet and salty snacks, but also in supposedly healthier products lurking much sugar. For example, a cup of fruit yoghurt may contain up to six pieces of sugar cubes, and a glass of soft drink may contain up to four pieces of sugar.

Only ten percent of the energy should come from sugars

When will the daily sugar dose become a health hazard? According to the World Health Organization WHO, the German Society for Nutrition, the German Obesity Society and the German Diabetes Society, at most ten percent of the daily calories should come from sugar. The professional societies have recently announced that all Germans eat on average 25 percent too much sugar.

Challenge: lower sugar

Reducing the daily sugar dose poses a challenge for many consumers. On the nutritional value tables in the supermarket, sugar is often obscured by manufacturers. Sugar also hides behind technical terms such as sucrose, fructose, dextrose, corn syrup or invert syrup, warns the German Cancer Aid. Therefore, meals should be prepared with fresh and unprocessed foods if possible and only seldom consume finished products. The professional societies also advise replacing sugary drinks with water and unsweetened teas. Sweets should be consumed with care and enjoyment rather than carelessly shoved into the mouth.

To protect children from an inactive lifestyle

The experts of the German Cancer Aid emphasize that children learn significantly by imitation. "Therefore, be a role model for young people, because the cornerstone for obesity is laid at a young age," the conclusion of Nettekoven.

To reduce your cancer risk in 2019

The German Cancer Aid published the free guide "Healthy appetite! Eating Versatile - Healthy Living ", which explains in detail what is part of a healthy lifestyle and how to reduce your personal cancer risk. Here are some important points from the guidebook summarized:

• Diverse and varied food,
• Remove obesity,
• a lot of exercise,
• Consume mainly vegetable foods,
• eat a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits,
• eat daily milk or dairy products,
• reduce meat consumption to once or twice a week,
• eat fish once or twice a week,
• to save on sugar and salt,
• reduce high-fat foods,
• cover the daily fluid requirements with water and unsweetened drinks,
• drink less alcohol,
• Do not smoke less or better (smoking and alcohol together quadruple the risk of cancer).

(Vb)