February 4 is World Cancer Day - a day dedicated to increasing the awareness of cancer and the actions we can take to reduce our risk. The dream is that one day our children or grandchildren will be able to enjoy an existence where cancer is a disease relegated to the past. While there have been tremendous medical advances in the prevention and treatment of this condition, cancer still causes 12 per cent of all deaths globally and is the leading cause of death in many Asian countries. It has been estimated that the incidence of cancer will double by 2030. The startling (and encouraging) fact is that many cancers appear to be preventable by making wise choices in the lifestyles we lead.

The types of cancer that are showing the most marked increase in Asian countries are those that have been linked to poor lifestyle choices. Across the region - from China, to the Philippines, from Thailand to Singapore, in both rural and urban areas - the incidence of cancers found more commonly in Western countries, such as lung, breast and colorectal cancers, are continuing to rise. Improvements in socioeconomic status, diet and nutrition may have lowered the risk of certain diseases, such as infections and malnutrition, but the other edge of the sword is that these improvements have been accompanied by a rise in lifestyle diseases including cancer.

Urbanisation brings with it more secure and stable food supplies which in turn increases the amount of calories that people have available to eat. At the same time, people tend to become less active so that their need for calories actually declines. The resulting energy imbalance (too many calories and not enough physical activity) leads to rising levels of body fatness – and according to a recent extensive review of diet and cancer (1), the link between being too fat and raising your cancer risk is very strong. The World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research Report (2007) states, “Maintenance of a healthy weight throughout life may be one of the most important ways to protect against cancer.”

Obesity is known to increase certain hormone levels and growth factors which may promote the growth of cancer cells. Also, insulin resistance is increased in overweight and obese people, especially when the fat is mostly found around the abdomen, and this increases insulin levels. High levels of insulin appear to increase the risk of certain cancers such as colon cancer.

Tips to reduce your risk of cancer
Here are some tips from AFIC to help lower your risk of cancer

1. Don’t smoke - Smoking has also been linked to many types of cancer including lung, mouth, oesophageal, and colon cancer.

2. Balance your energy in and energy out – increasing levels of body fat occur when we eat more than we burn up through our activity levels. So watch those portion sizes, balance your food choices and burn up more energy by being more active.

3. Get active – try for a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate activity most days of the week.

4. Fruits and vegetables – loaded with phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals which may help protect against cancer, you should aim for a minimum of 5 servings a day. Try to get as much variety in type and colour as possible.

5. Go grains – choose high fibre breads and cereals to boost your fibre intake.

6. Choose lean meats – limit red meat intake to 3-4 servings of lean red meat a week and choose chicken (no skin), fish, seafood, eggs, tofu and pulses as other sources of protein. Meats that are processed (such as ham, frankfurts, salami) should be taken only occasionally.

7. Limit alcohol – if you drink, aim for no more than two standard drinks a day for men and one drink daily for women.

8. Watch the salt – go easy on the amount of salt and salt-preserved foods you eat. You should aim to have no more than 6g of salt (2.4g of sodium) a day. Read food labels to check the amount of salt in processed foods.