Eating more low-fat fruits and vegetables can help you maintain a healthy weight and reduce your cancer risk, said James Gould, M.D., oncologist at Western Baptist Hospital.

“For your minimum five daily servings, choose deeply colored, vitamin-packed beauties—such as carrots, tomatoes, spinach and other salad greens,” said Gould. “Strawberries, cantaloupes and oranges, along with broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower, also are considered potent cancer fighters.”

Weight gain might add up to more than a bigger waist size. Gould said extra pounds also make you more likely to develop a variety of cancers. “These include cancers of the breast, endometrium, cervix, colon, esophagus, gallbladder, prostate, liver, pancreas and rectum.”

Here’s a sample of what research has found:

• Quantity matters. For example, in one study, for each 11 pounds gained in adulthood, a woman’s risk for postmenopausal breast cancer rose by 8 percent. Another study found that the risk for colon cancer rises as weight increases.
• A large study of women found a strong connection between excess weight and breast cancer death. By some estimates, as many as 18,000 breast cancer deaths of women age 50 and older in the U.S. might be avoided by maintaining a normal weight.
• For one type of esophageal cancer, obesity may play an early role. Excess abdominal fat contributes to reflux disease—an inflammation of tissues that can, in rare cases, lead to a precancerous condition called Barrett’s esophagus.

Trying to keep off—or lose—extra pounds? The formula for success remains the same: Burn off more calories than you take in. Try these specific pointers:

• To build muscle, make weight training a regular part of your routine. Muscle burns more calories than fat. Aim to do weight training 20 to 40 minutes, two to three times a week.
• Make low-fat, low-calorie food choices. Limit fat to 30 percent or less of your daily calories.
• Hungry? Stave off hunger pangs by filling up on fiber-rich whole grains, vegetables and fruits. It takes the body longer to burn these foods than sugary snacks.

“Another important component of cancer prevention is maintaining regular health appointments,” said Gould. “Your family physician can help you learn how to monitor your health and advise you of screenings and other methods of disease prevention.”

Did You Know?
Doctors advise those with low back pain to continue with their usual activities, as much as possible. Bed rest can actually make the condition worse.