2023-05-24 22:06:02
Cancer is a term used to describe different diseases that occur when abnormal cells multiply uncontrollably. According to medical research, more than 100 types of cancer have been identified in the world, which together become one of the leading causes of death. It is estimated that each year more than 11 million new cases of cancer occur in the world, of which around 80% are in developing countries (such as Colombia).
According to figures from National Cancer Observatory of Colombia (ONC) The cancers that cause the greatest annual number of deaths are lung, liver, stomach, colon, and breast cancers. An extensive document published by that entity in 2018 addresses the country’s challenges, risk factors, early detection possibilities, and even provides recommendations for how to face cancer as a disease that requires the development of public policies.
Related topics
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In this text, one of the topics addressed is the risk factors (or bad habits) that increase the risk of death when a person has some type of cancer. These risk factors, behavioral and food, increase the possibility of dying by 30% if you have cancer. These are the following:
But the ONC emphasizes that these risks are mitigable, so that the fight once morest a disease such as cancer can have more favorable results if you make changes in your lifestyle. We tell you how.
An adequate BMI is key in the fight once morest cancer
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure that relates a person’s weight and height to determine if they have a healthy weight. That is, this varies depending on each person. The World Health Organization estimates that a healthy weight is between a BMI of 18.5 and 24.9.
Values less than 18.5 indicate too low a weight. If they are equal to or greater than 25, it would already be considered overweight. If it exceeds 30 it is obesity. The ideal weight is calculated by dividing the weight in kilograms by the square of the height in meters (kg/m2). For example: If a person weighs 60 kilos and measures 1.50, the final result would be 26.6.
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According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Development (CDC), a healthy lifestyle that includes good nutrition and adequate physical activity is the key to maintaining a correct BMI.
That is, things as simple as eating more fruits and vegetables, reducing the amount of fat, sodium, sugary drinks and other items in your diet while being physically active at least five days a week can help you have a adequate BMI.
Fruits and vegetables, the right diet to prevent cancer
Diets rich in fruits and vegetables help reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, the leading causes of death, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.
According to a US study, eating approximately five servings of fruits and vegetables per day was associated with the lowest risk of death, and eating approximately two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables per day with increased longevity.
However, In Colombia, according to data published in 2017 by ‘Alimentos Hoy’ (The Magazine of the Colombian Association of Food Science and Technology), only between 4% and 18% of people consume fruitwhile the percentage of people who consume vegetables ranges from 4% to 59%.
(Read also: Prostate cancer: five healthy habits to prevent its appearance)
In that sense, something as simple as eating more fruits and vegetables can dramatically improve your health and help you prevent disease. There the recommendation is to consume fruits and vegetables that you like and try to do it without adding other products.
More exercise, key once morest cancer
Physical activity is, naturally, vital for our body: not only for its development, but it can even prevent diseases and health difficulties in the long term.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, Atlanta) and the Physical Activity Guide of the World Health Organization (WHO), lPhysical activity decreases the chances of suffering diseases such as:
But it is not only a matter of prevention: it has been shown that physical inactivity is an underlying cause of 13 types of cancer, since more than 10 percent of deaths from breast and colon cancer are attributed to it. The regular practice of physical activity is what has been called a ‘best buy’ in public health, that is, a highly beneficial intervention.
But, how much exercise time should a person do daily if they want to improve their health?
(Read also: Colon cancer: what causes it and what habits can help reduce the risk?)
According to Alejandro Sarmiento, doctor and scientific leader of the Bodytech gyms, although this is a figure that can vary depending on the age, weight and diet of the people, in general terms for an adult who does moderate cardiovascular exercise it would be between 150 and 300 minutes a week; while for a person who performs vigorous cardiovascular exercise it would be between 75 to 150 minutes per week.
Those times must be divided between several days of the week. For example, in the case of moderate exercise, it would be 60 minutes a day for five days (with two days off). While in the case of vigorous exercise it would be half, 30 minutes a day (counting two days off).
“When we talk regarding vigorous or moderate exercise, if we refer to objective medical parameters, we refer to a percentage of maximum heart rate. This is obtained through a formula that is easy to have on cell phones or on a smart watch. It is said that an intensity is moderate when it is below 77% of the maximum heart rate or vigorous when it is above that 77%”, says Sarmiento.
Smoking, the biggest risk factor for cancer
According to the ONC Smoking is the risk factor that alone causes the largest number of cancer cases and globally causes approximately 22% of cancer deaths and 71% of lung cancer deaths. But not only that, smoking also increases the risk of other diseases.
(Also read: Scientists identify new data that would explain some types of breast cancer)
“In Colombia in 2011, 2 people died every hour from causes attributable to smoking. The largest number of registered cases for both sexes was ischemic heart disease in people over 65 years of age, however, the largest number of registered cases attributable to smoking for both sexes was chronic bronchitis and emphysema,” says the ONC.
In this sense, the recommendation is simple (although complying with it can be complex) and it is to quit smoking. Lucía Viola, a pulmonology internist and head of the Thoracic Oncology service at the Colombian Pulmonary Foundation, assures that “the decision to quit smoking should not be motivated by the fact that the person already has some effect on their health derived from cigarette consumption, such as cancer. of the lung, COPD, but that cigarette consumption is considered as a disease”, explains the specialist.
Viola adds that people who have a smoking habit and want to quit should go to the health services and experts so that the protocol for the care of the smoker patient that exists in the country is executed.
However, the Pan American Health Organization has issued certain recommendations for smokers to quit this habit. Thus, the first recommendation is to delay giving in to the urge to smoke for as long as possible, to which is added that the person should take at least 10 deep breaths to relax before giving in to the desire to smoke.
(Also read: Prostate Cancer: Seven Foods to Avoid and Take Out of Your Diet)
Experts have reiterated that smoking is sometimes related to the need to “have something in your mouth”, so an alternative would be, according to the health authority, to drink water instead of a cigarette or a product derived from tobacco. Likewise, PAHO recommends distracting yourself when you feel the urges to smoke such as reading, walking or exercising.
Alcohol, another cancer risk factor
Finally, the consumption of alcoholic beverages is another factor that increases the risk of cancer. For example, a study published in the International Journal of Cancer, conducted by researchers from Oxford University, Peking University in China, and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences shows that drinking alcohol increases the risk of seven different types of cancer: breast , intestine, oral, esophagus, larynx, pharynx and liver.
Senior researcher Iona Millwood, from Oxford, said: “This study reinforces the need to reduce levels of alcohol consumption for cancer prevention, especially in China, where alcohol consumption is increasing despite the low tolerability of this drug. product among a large subset of the population.
But how to reduce alcohol consumption? According to the Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse of the United States, some of the actions you can take to reduce your consumption of intoxicating beverages are: keep doing physical activity, drink more slowly, learn to “say no”, quit alcohol for a while or ask for help from people close to you or organizations related to alcoholism (if necessary).
“Check with your doctor regarding your drinking habits to be sure. Your doctor will be able to tell you if you should reduce the amount of alcohol you drink or if you should abstain.
Just making these changes in your life today can help you prevent cancer in the future.
EDWIN CAICEDO | HEALTH UNIT
1685005412
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