Smoking, excess weight, unhealthy diets and alcohol cause cancer
April 30, 2017
Sara Hiom, director of information at Cancer Research UK, said: "We know, especially during the Christmas party season, that it is hard to watch what you eat and limit alcohol and we don't want people to feel guilty about having a drink or indulging a bit more than usual. But it's very important for people to understand that long term changes to their lifestyles can really reduce their cancer risk."
Dr Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK's chief executive, said: "Leading a healthy life doesn't guarantee that a person won't get cancer but this study shows that healthy habits can significantly stack the odds in our favour.
"While we have made tremendous progress in improving the chance of surviving cancer during the last 40 years, we need to make sure people are made aware of the risks of getting the disease in the first place so they can make the healthiest possible lifestyle choices.
"We know that cancer risk can be affected by family history and getting older, but these figures show that we can take positive steps to help reduce our risk of the disease. Stopping smoking, eating a balanced diet, cutting down on alcohol and maintaining a healthy weight could be New Year's resolutions that help save more lives in future."
Source: Cancer Research UK