Slimmer waistline plus regular exercise ‘combine to cut cancer risk’

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Maintaining a healthy weight and, in particular, having a waist circumference within the recommended level and being physically active, along with eating a healthy diet, are all crucial steps to reduce cancer risk Dr Helen Croker, World Cancer Research Fund Writing in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the team said: “Adherence to both WHO guidelines for waist circumference and physical activity is essential for cancer prevention; meeting just one of these guidelines is insufficient.” Dr Helen Croker, assistant director of research and policy at the World Cancer Research Fund, said: “These findings underscore the importance of a holistic lifestyle approach instead of focusing on a single factor to reduce cancer risk. “Maintaining a healthy weight and, in particular, having a waist circumference within the recommended level and being physically active, along with eating a healthy diet, are all crucial steps to reduce cancer risk. “These gradual adjustments can add up to a big difference over time.” Our findings highlight the value of addressing multiple factors together, showing that both maintaining a recommended waist size and being physically active are critical for cancer prevention Professor Michael Leitzmann, lead researcher Lead researcher, Professor Michael Leitzmann, from the University of Regensburg in Germany, said: “We’re excited about the insights we’ve uncovered regarding the interplay between waist circumference and physical activity in reducing cancer risk. By understanding individual cancer risks, people can take proactive steps to stop cancer before it gets worse or even begins in the first place Professor Antonis Antoniou, Cancer Data-Driven Detection This could lead to the NHS offering more frequent cancer screening, or screening at a younger age, to those at higher risk, whilst those at lower risk could be spared unnecessary tests.