Diet, weight status, and physical activity in cancer prevention

Background: Cancer is a multifactorial disease involving individual, behavioral and environmental factors that can contribute to its onset. More than 40% of cancers are estimated to be attributable to avoidable risk factors, particularly diet, physical activity, weight status, and alcohol consumption. Aim: To provide insight into the role of weight status, diet, and physical activity in cancer causation and prevention, and to highlight evidence-based recommendations. Material and methods: A literature review of published studies, particularly recent systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and large prospective studies was conducted using PubMed/Medline, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases. Results: There is evidence that diets high in red and processed meats, fat and refined carbohydrates, and low in plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, high consumption of alcohol, overweight/obesity, and physical inactivity are associated with increased risk of tumor development and progression. Therefore, the current recommendations for cancer prevention are based on: (1) eating at least five portions (400g) of vegetables (3 portions) and fruits (2 portions); (2) limiting the consumption of alcohol and unhealthy foods such as red and processed meats, energy-dense foods, and trans-fatty acids; (3) maintaining a healthy weight status; and (4) being at least moderately physically active. Conclusion: While a balanced diet, as defined by the recommendations, can help reduce the risk of certain cancers, no single food can prevent the development of this pathology. The term "anticancer" associated with diet is therefore misleading. Several nutritional factors are associated with an increase or a decrease in the risk of certain cancers. Adopting a healthy and plant-based diets, avoiding overweight/obesity, and being physically active are considered as cornerstones of preventive strategies against cancer. Further studies are needed to elucidate the associations between dietary and lifestyle patterns and cancer. Keywords: Cancer, Diet, Weight status, Overweight, Obesity, Physical activity.

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Diet, weight status, and physical activity in cancer prevention

The North African Journal of Food and Nutrition Research - July-December 2021 ◽

10.51745/najfnr.4.8.325-335 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (8) ◽

pp. 325-335

Author(s):

Slimane Mehdad ◽

Saida Mansour ◽

Hassan Aguenaou ◽

Khalid Taghzouti

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Cancer Prevention ◽

Weight Status ◽

Tumor Development ◽

Healthy Weight ◽

Physically Active ◽

Processed Meats ◽

Balanced Diet ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Meta Analyses

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Overweight, obesity and physical activity levels in Irish adults: evidence from the North/South Ireland Food Consumption Survey

Proceedings of The Nutrition Society ◽

10.1079/pns2001121 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 61 (1) ◽

pp. 3-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

S. N. McCarthy ◽

M. J. Gibney ◽

A. Flynn ◽

M. B. E. Livingstone

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Waist Circumference ◽

Weight Status ◽

Disease Risk ◽

Cardiovascular Disease Risk ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Healthy Weight ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Physical Activity Levels ◽

Prevalence Of Obesity

In the present paper the prevalence of obesity (BMI 30 kg/m2) and current physical activity levels in Irish adults have been evaluated. The prevalence of obesity in Irish adults is currently 18 %, with men at 20 % and women at 16 %. A further 47 % of men and 33 % of women are overweight (BMI 25·0–29·9 kg/m2). Since 1990, obesity has more than doubled in men from 8 % to 20 %, and increased from 13 % to 16 % in women. The highest prevalence of obesity (30 %) was found in women aged 51–64 years. Defined waist circumference action levels identified 48 % of the population who are in need of weight management and who also are at a 1·5–4·5 times increased risk of having at least one cardiovascular disease risk factor. Physical activity levels were low overall. Men were more active in work and recreational pursuits than women, but women were more active in household activities. Walking was the most popular recreational pursuit. However, TV viewing occupied most of the leisure time of men and women. Higher levels of activity were associated with a lower BMI and waist circumference. The results indicate the need for sensitive and individualised strategies to promote physical activity and to achieve a healthy weight status.

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Is Foundational Movement Skill Competency Important for Keeping Children Physically Active and at a Healthy Weight?

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph19010105 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 105

Author(s):

Jonathan D. Foulkes ◽

Zoe Knowles ◽

Stuart J. Fairclough ◽

Gareth Stratton ◽

Mareesa V. O’Dwyer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Weight Status ◽

Longitudinal Research ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

Holistic Approach ◽

Healthy Weight ◽

Physically Active ◽

Object Control ◽

Deprived Areas

This longitudinal study examines the associations between foundational movement skills (FMS) competency, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and weight status among children (n = 75) attending preschools in deprived areas from early to late childhood. Twelve FMS were assessed using the Children’s Activity and Movement in Preschool Motor Skills Protocol and video analysis. Physical activity was measured via hip-mounted accelerometry. Data was collected over a five-year period, with Baseline Follow Up data collected between 2010 and 2015. There was an overall pattern of increase for total, object-control and locomotor scores between Baseline and Follow-Up. Conversely, there was an overall pattern of decline for MVPA among participants. There was a positive significant (p < 0.05) association between total and locomotor scores and MVPA at Baseline. However, these associations weakened over time and no significant associations were found at Follow-Up. Baseline competency failed to predict Follow-Up MVPA or weight status. Likewise, Baseline MVPA was not found to be a predictor of Follow-Up FMS competency. Further longitudinal research is required to explore these associations among children from highly deprived areas. Future interventions may require a more holistic approach to improving FMS competency and increasing PA in order to account for the number of variables that can affect these outcomes.

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Operationalizing the 2018 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) Cancer Prevention Recommendations: A Standardized Scoring System (P13-034-19)

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzz036.p13-034-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

Marissa Shams-White ◽

Alice Bender ◽

Nigel Brockton ◽

Susannah Brown ◽

Lisa Kahle ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cancer Research ◽

Cancer Prevention ◽

Past Research ◽

Healthy Weight ◽

National Guidelines ◽

Physically Active ◽

Supplement Use ◽

Funding Sources ◽

Sweetened Beverages ◽

Definition Of

Abstract Objectives To develop a standardized AICR/WCRF Score that measures adherence to the 2018 WCRF/AICR Cancer Prevention Recommendations and provide guidance for its application in research. Methods Each of the updated 2018 WCRF/AICR Cancer Prevention Recommendations and the associated goals and statements of advice were examined to inform the definition of a new Score. For each of the weight, physical activity, diet, and breastfeeding-specific recommendations, components and subcomponents were created. Standards for scoring each component were established based on quantitative guidance specified in the recommendations; however, if no specificity was provided, other guidelines (e.g., national guidelines), past research that operationalized 2007 WCRF/AICR recommendations, and expert panel advice were evaluated. Results The proposed AICR/WCRF Score includes eight of the ten WCRF/AICR 2018 recommendations: 1) Be a healthy weight, 2) Be physically active, 3) Eat a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans, 4) Limit consumption of fast foods and other processed foods high in fat, starches, or sugars, 5) Limit consumption of red and processed meats, 6) Limit consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, 7) Limit alcohol consumption, and, optionally, 8) For mothers: breastfeed your baby, if you can. Each of the components are worth one point: 1, 0.5, and 0 points for fully, partially, and not meeting the recommendations, respectively (total Score: 0–7 or 8 points). Two recommendations were not included in the Score due to uncertain intent of supplement use (Do not use supplements for cancer prevention) and the redundancy of the dependent components in the final recommendation (After a cancer diagnosis: follow our Recommendations, if you can). Additional guidance will stress the importance of taking into account other risk factors, such as smoking, in relevant models using the new Score. Conclusions The AICR/WCRF Score is a practical tool operationalizing the 2018 recommendations. Future studies are needed to further examine how adherence to the Score relates to cancer risk and mortality in various populations. Funding Sources None.

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Association between the school physical activity environment, measured and self-reported student physical activity and active transport behaviours in Victoria, Australia

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity ◽

10.1186/s12966-021-01151-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Nicholas Crooks ◽

Laura Alston ◽

Melanie Nichols ◽

Kristy A. Bolton ◽

Steven Allender ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Active Transport ◽

Primary Schools ◽

Weight Status ◽

School Principal ◽

Primary School Children ◽

Physically Active ◽

Physical Activity Environment ◽

Policy Practice ◽

Socioeconomic Composition

Abstract Background Environments within schools including the physical, social-cultural and policy/practice environments have the potential to influence children’s physical activity (PA) behaviours and weight status. This Australian first study comprehensively examined the association(s) of physical, social-cultural and policy/practice environments with PA, active transport (AT) and weight status among regional primary school children. Methods Data were from two childhood obesity monitoring systems in regional Victoria, Australia. Measured height and weight were collected from students in Year 2 (aged approx. 7–8 years), Year 4 (9–10 years), and Year 6 (11–12 years). Self–reported PA behaviour, including AT were collected from students in Year 4 and 6 and a sub-sample wore an ActiGraph (wGT3X-BT) accelerometer for 7-days. A school physical activity environment audit was completed by the school principal and responses were used to calculate school physical activity environment scores (PAES) and active transport environment scores (ATES). Mixed effects logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between the proportion of students meeting the PA guidelines (≥60mins/day of moderate-to-vigorous PA) and PAES tertiles (low, medium, high) and those using AT and school ATES tertiles, controlling for gender, school size/type and socioeconomic composition. Results The analysed sample included 54/146 (37%) schools and 3360/5376 (64%) students. In stratified analysis, girls in schools with a medium PAES score were more likely to meet the objectively measured PA guideline compared to low PAES score (OR 2.3, 95%CI 1.27, 4.16). Similarly, students in schools with a medium or high ATES score had higher odds of self-reported AT (medium OR 3.15, 95%CI 1.67, 5.94; high OR 3.71, 95%CI: 1.80, 7.64). No association between PAES or ATES and weight status were observed. Self-reported AT among boys (OR 1.59, 95%CI 1.19, 2.13) and girls (OR 1.56, 95%CI 1.08, 2.27) was associated with higher odds of meeting self-reported PA guidelines on all 7-days than those who did not report using AT. Conclusions In this study of regional Victorian primary schools, PA environments were only associated with girls’ adherence to PA guidelines. School AT environments were strongly associated with students’ AT behaviours and with increased likelihood of students being physically active.

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Effect of Children’s Weight Status on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior during Physical Education, Recess, and After School

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm9082651 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 2651

Author(s):

Zachary C. Pope ◽

Charles Huang ◽

David Stodden ◽

Daniel J. McDonough ◽

Zan Gao

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Body Mass Index ◽

Elementary School ◽

Physical Education ◽

Sedentary Behavior ◽

Body Mass ◽

Weight Status ◽

After School ◽

Healthy Weight

Children’s body mass index may affect physical activity (PA) participation. Therefore, this study examined the effect of children’s weight status on underserved elementary school children’s PA and sedentary behavior (SB) throughout the segmented day. Participants were 138 children (X¯age = 8.14 years). Children’s height and weight were measured with subsequent classification of children as healthy weight or overweight/obese. Durations of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), light PA (LPA), and SB during physical education (PE), morning recess, lunch recess, after school, and overall were assessed via accelerometry over three days. Independent t-tests evaluated differences in children’s MVPA, LPA, and SB during each daily segment by weight status. Significantly higher MVPA was observed for children of healthy weight status versus children with overweight/obesity during morning recess, t(136) = 2.15, p = 0.03, after school, t(136) = 2.68, p < 0.01, and overall, t(136) = 2.65, p < 0.01. Interestingly, comparisons of children of healthy weight status and children with overweight/obesity’s LPA and SB during the after-school segment revealed a trend wherein children with overweight/obesity participated in slightly greater LPA/less SB than children of healthy weight status. Higher MVPA was observed among children of healthy weight versus children with overweight/obesity during most daily segments. Concerted efforts should focus on increasing MVPA among children with overweight/obesity.

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Population-Based Estimates of Physical Activity for Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: A Cautionary Tale of Potential Confounding by Weight Status

Journal of Obesity ◽

10.1155/2011/561432 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2011 ◽

pp. 1-5 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Ronald C. Plotnikoff ◽

Steven T. Johnson ◽

Constantinos A. Loucaides ◽

Adrian E. Bauman ◽

Nandini D. Karunamuni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Type 2 Diabetes ◽

Weight Status ◽

Large Population ◽

Population Sample ◽

Population Level ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Healthy Weight ◽

Physical Activity Levels

At a population level, the method used to determine those meeting physical activity guidelines has important implications, as estimating “sufficient” physical activity might be confounded by weight status. The objective of this study was to test the difference between three methods in estimating the prevalence of “sufficient activity” among Canadian adults with type 2 diabetes in a large population sample (N=1614) while considering the role of weight status as a potential confounder. Our results revealed that estimates of physical activity levels vary by BMI categories, depending on the methods examined. Although physical activity levels were lower in the obese, their energy expenditure estimates were not different from those who were overweight or of a healthy weight. The implications of these findings are that biased estimates of physical activity at a population level may result in inappropriate classification of adults with type 2 diabetes as “sufficiently active” and that the inclusion of body weight in estimating physical activity prevalence should be approached with caution.

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Cancer Prevention: Knowledge, Attitudes and Lifestyle Cancer-Related Behaviors among Adolescents in Italy

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17228294 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (22) ◽

pp. 8294

Author(s):

Gabriella Di Giuseppe ◽

Concetta Pelullo ◽

Maria Mitidieri ◽

Giuseppe Lioi ◽

Maria Pavia

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Cancer Prevention ◽

Healthcare Sector ◽

Lifestyle Behaviors ◽

Physically Active ◽

History Of ◽

Level Of Knowledge ◽

Self Administered Questionnaire ◽

History Of Cancer

This study explores knowledge, attitudes and lifestyle behaviors related to cancer in a sample of adolescents. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. 871 adolescents agreed to participate, with a response rate of 96.8%. Only 26.1% had a good level of knowledge on most risk factors for cancer. Adolescents with both parents employed, with a personal, familiar or friend history of cancer or having received information about cancer prevention from a physician, were more likely to have good knowledge about the risk factors for cancer. In total, 41% of participants declared that they consumed alcohol and 25.3% declared they were current smokers, 19.2% consumed fruits or vegetables more than once a day and 75.2% reported poor physical activity. Older adolescents, with a personal, familiar or friend history of cancer, not having one parent in the healthcare sector or not physically active were significantly more likely to be current smokers, whereas physical activity was significantly more likely in adolescents who had been informed by physicians on cancer prevention, and had one parent in the healthcare sector. This study highlights a need for improved education of adolescents about cancer prevention and lifestyle cancer-related behaviors.

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Activity and Obesity of Colombian Immigrants in Canada Who Use a Food Bank

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.105.2.681-687 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 105 (2) ◽

pp. 681-687 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Victor Ng ◽

Timothy J. Rush ◽

Meizi He ◽

Jennifer D. Irwin

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Weight Status ◽

University Education ◽

Self Report ◽

Healthy Weight ◽

Food Bank ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Face To Face ◽

Received Social Support ◽

Canadian Immigrants

The purpose of this study was to provide some preliminary description of the Latin-Canadian community by reporting the socioeconomic status, physical activity, and weight status (i.e., healthy weight, overweight, or obese status) of Colombians newly immigrated to London, Ontario Canada. Face-to-face interviews were conducted on a convenience sample of 77 adult Colombian immigrant food bank users (46.8% men; mean age 39.9 yr., SD = 11.8). Physical activity was gauged using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and self-report Body Mass Index, and sociodemographic data were collected. Of respondents, 47% had a university education, and 97% received social support. 61% met recommended levels of physical activity. Men were more active, being involved in about 130 min. more of exercise per week, and more men were overweight than women (63.9% versus 39.0%, respectively). Of respondents, 73% reported being less active than before coming to Canada. This pilot study indicates that Latin-Canadian immigrants are a vulnerable group in need of acculturational support. Further study is warranted.

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‘Is It Worth It?’ A Qualitative Study of the Beliefs of Overweight and Obese Physically Active Children

Journal of Physical Activity and Health ◽

10.1123/jpah.2012-0295 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1219-1224 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Kiara Lewis ◽

Claire Fraser ◽

Martin Manby

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Young People ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Weight Status ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Physically Active ◽

Children And Young People ◽

Activity Settings ◽

Template Analysis ◽

Semistructured Interviews

Background:The specific circumstances and contexts that may affect overweight and obese children’s participation in physical activity have thus far been given little attention. The qualitative study discussed in this paper explores the experiences of overweight and obese children and young people who have successfully increased their activity levels.Methods:The study sample was recruited from a community health and fitness scheme for children aged 5 to 16, with a Body Mass Index (BMI) at or above the 91st centile. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 58 children and young people. Data were analyzed using template analysis.Results:The children increased their feelings of capability to undertake physical activity, both while on the scheme and in other physical activity settings. They valued the range of ‘noncompetitive’ activities available and the nonthreatening atmosphere created. The ‘emotional’ support offered by the instructors was perceived as being integral to their enjoyment and continued participation.Conclusions:Physical activity providers need to be able to generate opportunities which allow children of any weight status to participate without fear of stigmatization or bullying. The findings of the current study suggest that to be effective what we should be focusing on is improving the physical activity experience from the child’s perspective.

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