We
can!
Reach Your
Healthy Weight
to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
®
An initiative of the
American Institute for Cancer Research.
AICR’s
Recommendations
for Cancer
Prevention
• Be as lean as possible without becoming
underweight
• Be physically active for at least 30 minutes
every day. Limit sedentary habits, like watching
television.
• Avoid sugary drinks. Limit consumption of calorie-
dense foods (particularly processed foods high in
added sugar, or low in fiber, or high in fat)
• Eat more of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole
grains and beans
• Limit consumption of red meats (such as beef,
pork and lamb) and avoid processed meats
• If consumed at all, limit alcoholic drinks to 2 for
men and 1 for women a day
• Limit consumption of salty foods and foods
processed with salt (sodium)
• Don’t use supplements to protect against cancer
Special Population Recommendations
• It is best for mothers to breastfeed exclusively
for up to 6 months and then add other liquids
and foods
• After treatment, cancer survivors should follow
the Recommendations for Cancer Prevention
And, always remember—do not smoke or
chew tobacco
®
COVER PHOTO: ©FOTOLIA
Reach Your
Healthy Weight
to Reduce Your
Cancer Risk
Table of Contents
Reduce your cancer risk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Reach a healthy weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Aim to be a healthy shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Balance calories in with calories out . . . . . . . . 9
Switch to low-calorie foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Adjust the plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Try to avoid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Make time for physical activity . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Need more help? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
About AICR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Healthy Living for Cancer Prevention Series
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Reduce your
cancer risk
After not smoking, the most important way to protect
yourself from cancer is to maintain a healthy weight.
This booklet helps you make the simple changes that
can empower you to reach that goal.
More than 1 in 3 Americans will develop cancer at
some point during their lifetime. You might know
someone who has been affected by cancer, or maybe
you’re a cancer survivor yourself.
AICR is working to prevent as many cancers as
possible. Although there are no guarantees, research
shows that by following the advice in this brochure
you can reduce your risk.
The same research shows it’s never too late—or too
early—to get started.
Scientists estimate that about one-third of the most
common cancers could be prevented by eating
healthy foods, getting more physical activity and
maintaining a healthy weight.
Start today!
Why wait? It’s never
too late to make
healthy changes and
lower your cancer risk.
2
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
Be a healthy weight for life
AICR’s advice is based on our expert report’s
10 Recommendations for Cancer Prevention.
The full list can be found inside the front cover of
this brochure. You can find out more about them
in our companion booklet, 10 Ways to Reduce
Your Cancer Risk. You can download a free copy
at www.aicr.org.
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
3
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Reach a
healthy weight
AICR’s first Recommendation is:
“Be as lean as possible without becoming
underweight.”
One of the best things you can do to prevent cancer
is to maintain a healthy weight. Yet obesity rates
have increased dramatically in the past 20 years:
69 percent of all American adults are overweight or
obese, according to the federal government.
Inactive lifestyles and easy access to unhealthy foods
have led to the obesity epidemic.
Maintaining a healthy body weight also helps to lower
your risk for other diseases including stroke, heart
disease and diabetes.
4
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
What about cancer survivors?
Growing evidence suggests that what’s true for
cancer prevention is true for cancer recurrence.
AICR recommends that after treatment, cancer
survivors should follow the Recommendations
for Cancer Prevention. The scientific evidence
is being reviewed as part of our Continuous
Update Project.
AICR’s suggestions to help cancer survivors who
have excess body fat with weight management
are:
• Eat a mostly plant-based diet and minimize
foods with a lot of added fat and sugar.
Plant foods provide cancer-fighting substances
while being low in calories, which helps prevent
weight gain.
• Get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical
activity each day. Limit sedentary habits, like
watching television.
Even if you have to start slowly—perhaps with
5–10 minutes each day—try to work up to at
least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity
every day.
You may want to look for an exercise program
led by a certified cancer exercise instructor.
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
5
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Aim to be a
healthy shape
Although it’s easy to ignore
a few extra pounds, studies
show that maintaining a
healthy weight is one of the
most important things you
can do to protect yourself
against cancer.
To find out if you are a
healthy weight and shape,
you can use two methods:
Body Mass Index (BMI) and
waist size.
Measuring your BMI
BMI is a simple way to find out whether you’re a
healthy weight for your height. For cancer prevention,
you should aim for a BMI that is within the normal
range (see the BMI chart on the next page).
1. Y
ou’ll need to know your weight in pounds and your
height in inches.
2. D
ivide your weight by your height squared and
multiply by 703. This figure is your BMI.
For example, here is the calculation for a person who
is 5’3” tall and who weighs 150 pounds:
Weight (150) divided by Height squared (63”x 63”) x
703 = BMI of 26.5
Or use the chart on the next page.
6
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
BMI Chart
To find out your BMI, match up your height and
weight.
How to Interpret Your Results
• Less than 18.5 = underweight
• Between 18.5–24.9 = normal
• Between 25–29.9 = overweight
• 30 or more = obese
Note: BMI may not be a suitable indicator if you
are frail and elderly, less than 5’ tall, an athlete,
pregnant or a child.
AICR recommends being as lean as possible
within the normal BMI range.
You can also visit www.aicr.org/bmi
to calculate your BMI online.
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
7
Measuring your waist
Another good way of checking if you’re a healthy
shape is by measuring your waist.
1. P
lace a tape measure around your waist at the
halfway point between the bottom of your ribs and
the top of your hip bone.
2. M
ake sure the tape is snug but doesn’t compress
your skin.
3. M
easure after breathing out. As a guide, a healthy
waist measurement is: less than 31.5” for women
and less than 37” for men.
SCIENCE
Weight and cancer risk—what’s the link?
AICR’s expert report and the Continuous Update
Project found strong evidence that body fat increases
risk for the following cancers:
• breast
(post-menopausal)
• liver
• kidney
• colorectal
• ovarian
• endometrial
• pancreatic
• esophageal
• prostate (advanced)
• gall bladder
How does body fat affect your risk for cancer?
Excess fat, especially deep within the abdomen:
• produces proteins called cytokines, which cause inflammation, a factor that may increase
cancer risk;
• produces more estrogen, a sex hormone linked to higher risk of some cancers; and
• leads to insulin resistance, which causes the body to produce more insulin and related growth factors,
which may increase risk for cancer.
8
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
We
can!
Balance calories
in with calories
out
If you eat more calories (energy) through food and
drinks than your body burns, you’re likely to gain
weight. The opposite is also true: if you burn more
calories through physical activity than you consume,
you’ll lose weight.
Today more Americans are overweight or obese than
ever before. Why? High-calorie foods are abundant
and we spend more time sitting and being inactive.
Given these conditions, it’s hard to maintain a
healthy weight. Instead of weight-loss diets that
are trendy but unhealthy, you can do two things to
manage your weight in a healthful way:
1. E
at a mostly plant-based diet and
minimize foods and beverages with
lots of added fat and sugar;
2.To prevent weight gain and aid
weight loss, aim for at least
60 minutes of moderate exercise
each day (or 30 minutes of
vigorous physical activity).
Limit sedentary habits, like
watching television.
Taking these two steps will help
you reach and maintain a healthy
weight for you. Keep reading to
learn how.
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
9
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Switch to lowcalorie foods
By eating foods that are less concentrated in calories,
you can enjoy healthy, satisfying meals that have fewer
calories.
Foods that are naturally low in calories
usually come from plants:
• non-starchy vegetables
(most vegetables except
white potatoes)
• whole grains
• dry beans and other legumes
• fruits
Plant foods contain fiber and water,
so they’re both filling and relatively
low in calories.
What about animal foods?
Meat, poultry, fish and dairy products are important
sources of some essential nutrients. But animal foods
contain no fiber and some contain lots of calorie-dense
fat—so it’s best to choose low-fat and lean varieties.
Diets high in red meat and especially processed meat
also raise your risk of colorectal cancer.
AICR recommends limiting red meat (beef, pork and
lamb) to 18 ounces, cooked (about 24 ounces, raw)
per week and avoiding processed meats such as hot
dogs, sausage, bacon, ham, bologna and other lunch
meats, except on special occasions.
10
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
f or eating healthy low-calorie foods
 Add more low-calorie plant foods to your
meals and favorite recipes. For example,
add chopped vegetables and beans to pasta
sauces, soups and stews.
If you snack, choose plant-based foods like
vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans
and limited amounts of nuts instead of chips,
candy and other packaged snack foods.
Choose whole grains whenever possible.
Choose a salad instead of French fries.
When you have dessert, choose fresh fruit
instead of baked items.
Trade full-fat foods, especially meat and
dairy foods, for low-fat versions.
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
11
Low calorie-dense
(eat more)
High calorie-dense
(eat less)
12
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
How to spot
calorie-dense foods
Very low and low calorie-dense foods:
• Broth-based soups and plain nonfat yogurt
• Whole grains
• Legumes (beans, lentils and split peas)
• Most vegetables and fruits
• Lean proteins (meat, poultry and fish)
• Low-fat dairy
Medium calorie-dense foods include:
• Breads, desserts, fat-free baked snacks, cheese
and higher-fat meats
High calorie-dense foods include:
•Fried snacks, candy, cookies, nuts and fats
Note: A few high calorie-dense foods, eaten in
small amounts (a scant handful), are valuable
sources of nutrients, such as avocados, nuts,
seeds and some oils.
Find out more:
www.foodsthatfightcancer.org
Source: The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet by Barbara Rolls
(New York: Morrow, 2012).
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
13
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Adjust the plate
To get enough cancer-fighting fiber, phytochemicals,
vitamins and minerals, follow AICR’s rule-of-thumb:
Fill 2/3 or more of your plate with vegetables, fruits,
whole grains and beans and 1/3 or less with lean
animal protein.
Fill at least
2/3 or more of
your plate with
plant foods and
1/3 or less
with animal
foods like lean
meat and lowfat dairy.
Animal Foods
Plant Foods
Keep an eye on portion size
If you are trying to lose weight, gradually reduce the
size of your portions. Portions have grown over the
past several decades, so it’s handy to check the
USDA’s Standard Serving Sizes (see pages 16–17).
You may eat more than one serving of a food in
a meal, but this chart can give you a perspective
on how much you are eating. For example, AICR
recommends eating at least 4–5 cups of vegetables
and fruits each day.
Snack only when you’re hungry and stop before you
feel full. With moderate to high-calorie foods, choose
small serving sizes to control how much you’re
eating.
14
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
SCIENCE
Cancer-fighting foods are usually low
in calories
Naturally low-calorie plant foods contain cancerfighting phytochemicals, fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Research shows that vegetables and fruits protect
against a number of cancers, including:
• esophagus
• larynx
• mouth
• pharynx
• stomach
Vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans contain
hundreds of phytochemicals (natural plant chemicals)
that work together to protect our health. It’s best to
eat a wide variety to get the most health protection.
•Fiber is found in all whole plant foods (but not
in oils, juices or animal foods). Strong evidence
shows that fiber helps to protect us against
colorectal cancer. The USDA Dietary Guidelines for
Americans advise eating at least 25 grams of fiber
daily.
•Whole grains—such as products made with whole
wheat, brown rice, oats, bulgur and barley—are
higher in dietary fiber than highly processed grains
(such as products made with all-purpose white flour
and white rice). Processing strips away the bran
and the germ, which are grains’ main sources of
fiber, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals.
• Legumes, including dry beans and peas, contain
plenty of fiber along with protein, vitamins and
minerals.
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
15
What does a cup look like?
Food
Chopped Vegetables
Raw Leafy Vegetables
(such as lettuce and greens)
Fresh Fruit
Dried Fruit
Pasta, Rice,
Cooked Cereal
Ready-to-Eat Cereal
Meat, Poultry, Seafood
Dried Beans
Nuts
Cheese
16
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
Serving
Looks Like
1 cup
Baseball or rounded
handful for average adult
2 cups (or 1 cup
cooked)
2 baseballs or rounded
handful for average adult
1 small piece or
½ cup chopped
½ baseball or 1 rounded
handful for average adult
¼ cup
Scant handful for average
adult
½ cup
½ baseball
1 oz., which varies Baseball or rounded
from ½ cup to
handful for average adult
1 cup (check
label)
3 oz. (boneless
cooked weight
from 4 oz. raw)
Deck of cards or
checkbook
½ cup cooked
½ baseball or rounded
handful for average adult
¼ cup
Scant handful for average
adult
1 ½ oz.
4 dice
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
17
for eating a plant-based diet
Aim to eat at least 3 ½–6 cups of fruits
and vegetables every day.
Aim to eat 2 ½–5 cups of whole grains per
day, as appropriate for calorie needs.
Aim to eat at least 3 cups of beans every
week.
Fill 2/3 or more of your plate with plant
foods, including vegetables, fruits, whole
grains and beans.
We
can!
Eat Well
to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
You can learn more about eating to
reach your healthy weight and lower
cancer risk from our companion
brochure, Eat Well to Reduce Your
Cancer Risk.
To view online, visit
www.aicr.org; to order a free
copy, call 1-800-843-8114.
An initiative of the
American Institute for Cancer Research.
18
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
We
can!
Try to avoid...
Heavily processed foods
Heavily processed foods have been
manufactured or greatly altered
from their original forms. Examples
are cookies, sugary cereals, candy
and chips.
When these types of foods are
made, a lot of water, fiber and
some of the nutrients are eliminated and extra fat,
salt and sugar are often added. The extra fat and
sugar make the food more calorie-dense.
Eating just a small amount of these foods can provide
many calories without making you feel full.
Sugary drinks
AICR recommends avoiding sugary
beverages like sodas and fruit
drinks. Instead, choose water or
unsweetened tea or coffee most
of the time and limit 100 percent
juice to ¾ cup (6 ounces).
Think before you drink alcohol
Alcoholic beverages are high in calories and increase
your risk of some cancers as well. If you choose
to drink at all, AICR recommends limiting alcoholic
beverages to 1 standard-size drink per day for women
and 2 for men.
Find out more about our alcohol
Recommendation at:
www.aicr.org/alcohol
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
19
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Make time for
physical activity
Physical activity can help reduce your cancer risk. To
maintain a healthy weight, combine healthy eating
with physical activity.
AICR recommends getting at least 30 minutes a day
of moderate physical activity to lower your cancer risk.
Break it up into 10 or 15 minute segments for a daily
total of 30 minutes to make it easier.
As you become more fit, aim for 60 minutes of
moderate (or 30 minutes of vigorous) physical activity
every day (see the box on page 21).
What counts as physical activity?
Research shows that sitting for long hours can be
harmful to your health. So even if you go to the gym
for 30 minutes each day, it’s still important to keep
moving throughout the day.
Some ways to be more physically active and burn more
calories include:
• taking hourly activity breaks from seated activities
• using the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator
• walking or bicycling instead of driving
• parking at the far end of the lot
• doing household chores to some energizing music
We
can!
Move More
to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
To view online, visit
www.aicr.org; to order a free
copy, call 1-800-843-8114.
An initiative of the
American Institute for Cancer Research.
Move More.indd 1
20
You can learn more about moving more
for a healthy weight and lower
cancer risk from our companion
brochure, Move More to Reduce Your
Cancer Risk.
3/6/15 2:49 PM
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
Kinds of physical activity
The amount of calories you burn depends on the type,
frequency, duration and intensity of the activity you
do. To burn more calories, move more vigorously or
longer or both.
Moderate activity will make your heart
pump faster and your breathing heavier.
Here are some examples of moderate
activities and calories burned (by a
160-pound person after 30 minutes):
• dancing slowly—110 calories
• m
opping or vaccuming—135 calories
• bicycling leisurely—138 calories
• raking the lawn—145 calories
• w
alking briskly (about 3.5 miles per
hour)—200 calories
• s
wimming laps at moderate
speed—210 calories
• rowing, moderately—210 calories
Vigorous activity pumps your heart even faster.
You’ll probably sweat and feel out of breath. Here
are some examples and calories burned
(for a 160-pound person after
30 minutes):
• aerobics, high-impact or step—
272–345 calories
• basketball or football—
236–290 calories
• using a stair-climbing machine—
327 calories
• competitive racquetball—364 calories
• running, 6 mph—356 calories
• rowing, vigorously—455 calories
• swimming, vigorously—360 calories
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
21
SCIENCE
Moving more throughout the day will
burn more calories and help you control
your weight.
Being physically active lowers risk for:
• breast cancer (in post-menopausal women)
• colon cancer
• endometrial cancer
Studies show that physical activity lowers:
• high levels of hormones that raise cancer risk
• inflammation, which may increase cancer risk
to keep up with physical activity
Choose an activity you enjoy.
Find opportunities to include more activity,
even if it’s only 10–15 minutes at a time.
Read, watch TV or listen to music while you
exercise on a treadmill or a stationary bike.
Ask a buddy to be a walking partner, go
biking or sign up for a class with you.
Mix it up—alternate aerobic activity that
raises your heart rate with weight lifting
exercises each week for total fitness.
22
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
It’s never too late—at any weight
It’s never too late to start making changes to reach
your healthy weight and lower cancer risk. Even when
life-changing events and holidays derail your healthy
eating and physical activity, resume your progress
toward reaching a healthy weight and keep extra
pounds off by:
• eating mostly low calorie-dense foods prepared in
low-fat ways
• starting daily physical activity again as soon as
possible
• weighing yourself once a week (take action
immediately if your weight goes up)
• expecting and
planning for a slow
and steady weight
loss instead of using
fad diets to quickly
shed the pounds (which
are often regained)
• keeping a food diary for a
week or two so that you can
see your eating patterns
clearly; jot down what you eat,
how much and when you eat
• try phone apps for tracking
your diet
• setting achievable physical
activity goals each week: maybe
adding 15 minutes a day to your
current walk or other exercise
practice or trying a different kind
of activity for at least 15 minutes,
such as strengthening exercises on
Tuesdays and Thursdays
Find out more about maintaining a
healthy body weight at: www.aicr.org
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
23
Need more help?
The information in this booklet is about maintaining a
healthy weight for cancer prevention. This is one important
part of reducing our cancer risk, but eating a plant-based
diet, being physically active and not smoking play a big part
too. Find out more in our booklet 10 Ways to Reduce Your
Cancer Risk and other free brochures (up to 3 single items
free):
• Eat Well
• Move More
• The New American Plate
• More Food, Fewer Calories
Contact us at:
American Institute for Cancer Research
1759 R Street, NW, P.O. Box 97167
Washington, DC 20090-7167
or call: 1-800-843-8114 or 202-328-7744
email: [email protected]
Additional resources:
•America on the Move • www.americaonthemove.org
•The American College of Sport Medicine
www.acsm.org (search: “pro finder” for certified
cancer survivor instructors)
P.O. Box 1440
Indianapolis, IN 46206-1440
1-317-637-9200 Monday–Friday, 8 am–4:30 pm
Eastern Time
•American Council on Exercise
Get Fit workouts and videos
www.acefitness.org/acefit/fitness-facts
• National Institute on Aging Go4Life®
go4life.nia.nih.gov • 1-800-222-2225
•Shape Up America • www.shapeup.org
•The National Weight Control Registry
www.nwcr.ws • 1-800-606-NWCR (6927)
•Tufts University • growingstronger.nutrition.tufts.edu
•Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov • 1-800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636)
PHOTO CREDITS: Thinkstock.com
24
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
About AICR
OUR VISION: We want to live in a world where no one
develops a preventable cancer.
OUR MISSION: We champion the latest and most
authoritative scientific research from around the world
on cancer prevention and survival through diet, weight
and physical activity, so that we can help people make
informed lifestyle choices to reduce their cancer risk.
We have contributed over $105 million for innovative
research conducted at universities, hospitals and research
centers across the country. Find evidence-based tools
and information for lowering cancer risk, including AICR’s
Recommendations for Cancer Prevention, at www.aicr.org.
About the Continuous Update Project
As the U.S. charity in the World Cancer Research Fund
network, we contribute to the Continuous Update Project
(CUP), an ongoing analysis of global scientific research
into the link between diet, physical activity, weight and
cancer.
The CUP produces periodic reports on the state of the
evidence linking various lifestyle factors to risk of specific
cancers. These reports will inform a major update of our
Recommendations for Cancer Prevention scheduled for
2017.
Visit our website for the complete list of CUP reports
including:
• 2015:Gallbladder, Kidney and Liver cancers
• 2014:Breast Cancer Survivors, Ovarian and
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010
Prostate cancers
Endometrial Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer
Colorectal Cancer
Breast Cancer
Analyzing the research on cancer
prevention and survival
You can support AICR’s life-saving research and education
in a variety of ways:
• make a donation online at www.aicr.org;
• write to AICR, 1759 R Street, NW, P.O. Box 97167,
Washington, DC 20090-7167; or
• include a bequest in your will.
For more information, contact our Gift Planning
Department at 1-800-843-8114 or [email protected].
Reach Your Healthy Weight to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
25
®
CancerPrevention Together We Can is an initiative
of the American Institute for Cancer Research.
The website, www.aicr.org/can-prevent is dedicated to presenting evidence-based, user-friendly
and interactive tools that educate and empower
people to reduce cancer risk.
AICR Guidelines for Cancer Prevention
The choices you make about food, physical
activity and weight management can reduce
your chances of developing cancer.
• Choose mostly plant foods, limit red meat and
avoid processed meat.
• Be physically active every day in any way for 30
minutes or more. Limit sedentary habits, like
watching television.
• Aim to be a healthy weight throughout life.
And always remember—do not smoke or
chew tobacco.
®
www.aicr.org
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