Reduce Your Cancer Risk

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Reduce Your Cancer Risk
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Daily habits can affect your risk for cancer such
as

• The amount of exercise you get
• The amount and type of food you eat
• Obesity
• Your tobacco habits/environment
• Using sun protection

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Increasing your physical activity is one of the
most important changes YOU can make!
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Exercise lowers your risk for

• Cancers
• Breast
• Colon
• Many others

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How Much Exercise?

• Adults
• 30 Minutes of moderate exercise 5 or more days a
  week
• For reducing risk for breast cancer and colon
  cancer, even more exercise may be better.
• Children
• 60 Minutes on 5 or more days a week

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Types of Exercise

• Light You dont breathe heavily.
• Slow walk
• Moderate You breathe a little more heavily.
• Brisk Walking
• Easy Swimming
• Strenuous You breathe very heavily.
• Jogging
• Aerobics

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How to Get Started

• As an individual
• As a group
• As a school

http//walkacrosstexas.tamu.edu
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Being overweight increases your risk for

• Breast Cancer
• Colon Cancer part of the intestine
• Endometrial Cancer lining of the uterus
• Esophageal Cancer muscular tube that propels
  food from the mouth to the stomach
• Kidney Cancer

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Maintain a healthy weight!

• Lose weight if needed
• Dont overeat
• Eat less calories
• Burn more calories than you eat by exercising
• When body fat is high, you dont get the same
  cancer- fighting protection as a person with less
  body fat.

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Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

• They Have
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Fiber
• Antioxidants
• 5 Servings a Day
• Choose with color!
• High nutrient content

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High fat diets are linked to increased cancer
risk!

• Colon cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Many others
• Limit saturated fats choose
• Lean meats
• Low-fat dairy products
• Vegetable oils
• Canola/Olive

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The single most important action that you can
take to reduce cancer

• Stop tobacco use
• Dont start

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Tobacco Use and Cancer

• Smoking causes nearly 87 of all lung cancers.
• Each year, secondhand smoke causes
• 3,000 lung cancer deaths in non-smoking adults.
• 35,000 to 40,000 cases of heart disease.
• Causes other types of cancer
  cervix, mouth, pharynx, larynx,
  esophagus, pancreas, kidney,
  and bladder

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Tobacco Tips

• Want to quit smoking or using tobacco products?
• American Cancer Society 1-800-ACS-2345
• Dont allow smoking or tobacco around children.
• Smoking even occasionally inside the home can put
  over 3000 chemicals in the air that can be
  detected up to 2 weeks later.

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Protect Your Family

• Encourage children not to use tobacco.
• Dont allow smoking or tobacco around children.
• Choose smoke-free restaurants.
• Talk to your family about the importance of a
  tobacco-free home.

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Prevent Skin Cancer

• Wear sun screen with an SPF of 15 or more.
• Limit sun exposure between 10 am 4 pm.
• Wear a broad-brimmed hat, wrap around sunglasses,
  and long- sleeved shirts.
• Dont get a tan, and dont use sun lamps.

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Have Your Doctor Check Your Skin

• Every 3 Years
• Between 20 40 years of age
• Every Year
• Over 40 years of age

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An Extension Challenge

• Lets increase our physical activity!
• Lets make healthier food choices!
• Lets maintain a healthy weight!
• Lets make a smoke-free environment
• Lets use sun protection everyday!

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You Can Do It!

• Any Questions?

Written By Courtney J. Schoessow, MPH, Extension
Associate, January 2004.
Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife
Extension Service are open to all people without
regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion,
age, or national origin. The Texas AM University
System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the
County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating