Reduce your risk of cancer

Healthy body weight

More than 3 in 5 Australians adults are either overweight or obese, meaning they carry too much body fat.

Excess body fat is associated with a number of chronic diseases including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Research also shows that being overweight or obese increases the risk of a number of cancers, including cancer of the bowel, oesophagus (food pipe), kidney, pancreas, breast (in post-menopausal women) and endometrium (lining of the uterus).

Poor food and drink choices and not enough physical activity often lead to weight gain. A healthy diet and regular exercise can help prevent overweight and obesity. Maintaining a healthy weight reduces your risk of cancer.

This brochure provides practical information to help you reach and maintain a healthy body weight, which can reduce your risk of developing cancer and other chronic diseases.

Healthy body weight to reduce your risk of cancer

What are overweight and obesity?Overweight and obesity are defined as having excess (too much) body fat.

How do I know if I am overweight or obese?There are two ways you can find out if you are overweight or obese. One is the body mass index (BMI) and the other is waist circumference measurements. Neither method is perfect but when used together they are useful in determining how healthy your weight is.

If you discover that you are in the overweight or obese category, the first thing to do is to stop gaining weight. Once your weight has stabilised you can then concentrate on losing those extra kilos and moving into the healthy weight category.

Try to make healthier food choices and increase your activity levels. Every small change you make counts! The tips in this brochure will help you work towards achieving a healthier weight. Your doctor or an accredited practising dietitian can also give you advice.

Body Mass Index (BMI)BMI, or body mass index, compares your weight to your height. You can work out your BMI by dividing your weight in kilograms (kg) by your height in metres (m) squared.

BMI = weight (kg)

height (m) × height (m)

For example:If John weighs 95 kg and is 180 cm tall, the calculation will be:

95= 29.3

1.8 × 1.8

His BMI is 29.

About overweight and obesity

After you have worked out your BMI, use this table to tell you which body weight category you fall into:

BMI Category

Below 18.5 Underweight

From 18.5 to 25 Healthy weight

From 25 to 30 Overweight

30 and above Obese

The chart below shows a quick alternative way to estimate your BMI:

You need to know your height and your weight. Find your height on the bottom (x-axis) and your weight on the left hand side (y-axis). Find the point on the graph where your height and weight meet to see the weight category you fit into. For example, if your height is 160 cm and your weight is 60 kg, the point where your height and weight meet is in the green section, which means you have a healthy weight.

If your BMI is between 18.5 and 25, you are in the healthy weight range. You should maintain your current weight.

If your BMI is 25 or greater, you are above the healthy weight range, which increases your risk of developing cancer and other chronic diseases.

Waist circumference indicates how much fat you have around the middle of your body, or abdomen (stomach). Having weight around your middle is more of a health risk than the weight on your hips or thighs.

Use a measuring tape to measure your waist circumference around the narrowest point of your body (see diagram). Measure at the end of a normal breath, and ensure that the tape is firm; not too tight or too loose.

The table shows how your waist circumference can be used to find out if you are healthy:

Waist circumference

Healthy Male Less than 94 cm

Female Less than 80 cm

Increased risk of disease

Male 94 – 102 cm

Female 80 – 88 cm

Greatly increased risk of disease

Male More than 102 cm

Female More than 88 cm

Waist circumference

Energy in and energy outYou obtain energy from the food and drinks (including alcohol) you consume, and you burn energy by the physical activities that you do. This includes physical activity done as part of your daily routine – such as taking the stairs instead of the lift – and planned activity such as going for a walk, cycling or playing sport.

If you already have a healthy body weight, you can maintain it by balancing your energy intake and output. This means that the energy you take in through food and drinks is balanced by the energy you use for your daily physical activities.

If the amount of energy you take in from food and drinks is more than the amount you use in daily physical activity, your body stores the excess energy as fat, and over time you will gain weight.

If the energy you take in from food and drinks is less than the energy you use in daily physical activity, over time you will lose weight.

The keys to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight are to eat well and be active.

How much brisk walking do I need to do to burn off a:

55 g bar of milk chocolate

(1185 kJ) 56 minutes

375 mL can of soft drink

(655kJ) 31 minutes

Packet of takeaway hot chips

(1838kJ) 1 hour and 28 minutes

Now you have worked out the weight category you fit into, let’s look at how to put a stop to gaining weight and how to reach the healthy weight category.

Energy balance

Eating well provides you with valuable nutrients and energy, and will help you to reach and maintain a healthy weight. Understanding energy density and portion control will help you to eat well.

Energy densityAll foods and drinks, except water, contain energy that is measured in kilojoules (kJ) or calories. The energy density of a food is the amount of kilojoules, or calories, per gram of food.

Foods with a high energy density provide more kilojoules than foods with a low energy density. The higher the water content of a food, the lower its energy density. Fat is the most energy dense nutrient and provides 38 kJ of energy per gram while carbohydrate and protein provide around 17 kJ of energy per gram.

If you base your meals and snacks mainly on low energy dense foods, some medium energy-dense foods and limit high energy dense foods, this will help you to reach and maintain a healthy weight.

Energy density

Very low Low Medium High

You can eat large portions and use these foods to bulk up meals

These foods should make up the bulk of what we eat and you can eat satisfying portions

Eat only a moderate amount of these foods and control your portion sizes

These foods should only be eaten occasionally and in small amounts

Examples

Soups (e.g. vegetable) Mixed salad (no dressing)Broccoli Apple Pear

Baked potatoBananaBaked beans Chicken breast (no skin)Rice Pasta

CheeseSalad dressingSalmonLasagneSteak

ChocolateNutsChipsButter Oil

Eating well

TIPS: Reducing the energy density of your diet• Start your meal with a low energy density entrée

(starter) such as a broth-based soup or a salad (without oily dressing)

• Bulk up your meals with low energy-dense foods:– Add vegetables and legumes to pasta sauce– Add lentils or pearl barley to soups and stews– Make vegetables the main meal and meat

a side dish

• Prepare foods using healthy cooking methods:– Choose to grill, steam or bake foods and don’t

use fat or oil– Limit foods that are fried or baked in fat

• Swap high energy-dense foods for less energy dense options:– Choose reduced-fat dairy products instead of

full fat versions – Choose tomato-based pasta sauces instead

of creamy or cheese-based ones– Choose reduced-fat and low sugar products

such as reduced-fat mayonnaise and fruit canned in natural juice instead of syrup

– Snack on fruit and vegetables instead of confectionary (sweets/lollies) and crisps

– For dessert, choose fruit salad and reduced-fat yoghurt instead of ice cream or cream

• Eat smaller portions of high energy-dense foods – Handle your chocolate craving by having a fun

size chocolate bar instead of a regular or king size bar

– Eat small servings of desserts and pastries, for example half a muffin, one small scoop of ice cream or share dessert with a friend

Limit high energy drinksDue to their water content, drinks are less energy-dense than foods. However sugary drinks provide lots of kilojoules and little or no nutrients. Water is the best choice. Drinks such as fruit juice, soft drinks and cordials should ideally be avoided, or at least consumed infrequently and in small amounts.

Fruit and vegetablesEating more fruit and vegetables is an easy and nutritious way to reduce the energy density of your diet. You should aim for 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables every day. Try to include at least one fruit or vegetable in all your meals and snacks.

TIPS: How to eat more fruit and vegetables• Add bananas, oranges, sultanas, or grated

carrots, zucchini or apple, to muffins

• Add banana or berries to porridge and breakfast cereals

• Make a vegie omelette for breakfast or brunch on the weekend

• Top toast with banana or avocado

• Enjoy a smoothie made from fresh or frozen fruit and reduced-fat yoghurt or milk

• Eat fruit-based desserts such as chopped fresh fruit, stewed fruit or baked apples

• Make vegie pizzas using leftover roasted or grilled vegies

• Increase the amount of vegies in your stir fries

• Bulk up soups, stews and pasta with vegies and legumes such as lentils

• Keep a selection of reduced salt or no added salt canned and frozen vegetables in your cupboard and freezer so you always have a substitute when fresh ones aren’t available

AlcoholJust like any food or drink you consume (except water), alcoholic drinks contain energy. In fact, alcohol contains few nutrients but is very energy dense.

In Australia, one ‘standard drink’ contains 10 grams of alcohol, which gives you 290 kJ of energy. If the alcohol is mixed with other sugary drinks (mixers), it contains even more energy. For example, a can of bourbon and coke provides about 690 kJ of energy and would take about 35 minutes of brisk walking to burn off.

Another downside of alcohol is that it is easy to consume much more than a standard drink! This diagram shows you what a standard drink looks like:

100 mL (1 glass wine)

285 mL (1 middy full

strength beer)30 mL

(1 nip spirit)

The drinks served in restaurants, pubs and at home are often much larger than one standard drink. For example, a small glass of wine in a restaurant is about 150 mL, which is one and a half standard drinks.

If you are trying to achieve or maintain a healthy weight, it is best to avoid drinking alcohol. Alcohol also increases your chances of developing cancer in specific parts of the body, including the mouth, throat (pharynx and larynx), oesophagus (food pipe), bowel, breast and liver.

There is no safe alcohol level with regards to cancer. If you do choose to drink alcohol, the recommendations are that men and women should have no more than two standard drinks per day, and alcohol-free days.

To compare:

1 gram of alcohol = 29 kJ of energy; whereas

1 gram of protein or carbohydrate = 17 kJ of energy

Portion controlReaching and maintaining a healthy weight is not only about what you eat, but also about how much you eat. Portion control is very important in helping you to achieve your healthy weight goals.

For the best nutrition health professionals recommend adults should consume the following number of serves from each of the five main food groups every day:

Food Group People aged 19-60 years

People aged 60+ years

Breads and cereals

4-9 serves (females)6-12 serves (males)

4-7 serves (females)4-9 serves (males)

Vegetables 5 serves 5 serves

Fruit 2 serves 2 serves

Reduced-fat dairy 2 serves 2 serves

Meat and alternatives 1 serve 1 serve

It is important for you to know what appropriate serving sizes are so you can avoid eating too much. This guide gives you an idea of what one serve from each of the five food groups is:

Breads and cerealsOne serve is: 2 slices of bread, 1 medium bread roll 1 cup of cooked rice, pasta or noodles1 cup of cooked porridge 11/3 cups of breakfast cereal½ cup of untoasted muesli

VegetablesOne serve is: ½ cup of cooked vegetables½ cup of cooked legumes such as dried beans, peas or lentils1 cup of salad vegetables 1 potato

FruitOne serve is:1 medium piece, such as an apple,

orange or pear2 small pieces, such as

apricots,kiwifruits or plums1 cup of diced or canned fruit

(in natural juice) 1½ tablespoons of sultanas or 4 dried

apricot halves ½ cup (125 mL) of 100% fruit juice

Milk, cheese and yogurtOne serve is: 1 cup of milk (250 mL) 2 slices (40 grams) of cheese1 small tub (200 grams) of yoghurt

Meat and alternatives

One serve is:65-100 grams of cooked meat or chicken, e.g. ½ cup of lean mince,2 small chops, 2 slices of roast meat80-120 grams of cooked fish fillet½ cup of cooked legumes, such as lentils, chickpeas, dried or canned beans

2 small eggs 1/3 cup of nuts such as peanuts or almonds¼ cup of sunflower seeds or sesame seeds

Energy dense foods that are high in fat and sugar, such as desserts, biscuits, cakes, sugary drinks and chips, are ‘extra’ foods that should not be part of your every day food intake, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Remember that ‘extra’ foods do not fill you up as much as healthy, low energy dense foods, so it is easy to overeat ‘extra’ foods.

TIPS: Controlling your food portions• Use smaller plates

• Store foods in individual portions rather than in bulk containers

• Don’t eat from the bag or packet – put a small amount of snack food into a bowl and put the packet away

• Order entrée (starter) sizes or small meals at restaurants

• Eat slowly and enjoy the food. It takes 10 to 20 minutes for your stomach to signal to your brain that you are full

• Resist up-sizing or purchasing ‘value meals’ at fast food restaurants

• If you eat food from the ‘extras group’, share it with a friend

Source: Draw the Line © 2009

Being active has an important role in helping you achieve and maintain a healthy weight. It also helps you sleep better and feel healthier!

Remember, to maintain your weight, you need to balance the energy you take in with the energy you use in daily activities:

Energy In = Energy Out

For weight maintenance, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days.

For weight loss and cancer prevention the more physically active you are the better. As fitness improves aim for at least 60 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 30 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity every day.

The National Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults

The National Physical Activity Recommendations for Children (5-18 years)

1. Think of movement as an opportunity, not an inconvenience.

2. Be active every day in as many ways as you can.

3. Put together at least 30 minutes of moderate- intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days.

4. If you can, also enjoy some regular, vigorous activity for extra health and fitness.

1. Children and young people should participate in at least 60 minutes (and up to several hours) of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day.

2. Children and young people should not spend more than 2 hours a day using electronic media for entertainment (e.g. TV, computer games, internet), particularly during daylight hours.

Source: Department of Health and Ageing, Commonwealth of Australia

Being active

How do I know the intensity of the activity I am doing?Use the Talk Test. While performing light-intensity activity (such as slow walking, light housework or gardening) you should be able to sing. During moderate-intensity activity (such as brisk walking, flat cycling) you should be able to carry on a conversation comfortably. During vigorous-intensity activity (such as running, cycling uphill) you should be too out of breath to carry on a conversation.

It’s easy to include some physical activity every day

TIPS: Increasing your physical activity

• Organise a weekly group activity with your friends such as a netball game or a long walk. Exercising with friends helps with motivation and commitment

• Use physical activity as transport to get from one destination to another (e.g. walk, cycle)

• Park your car further away from your destination and walk some of the way

• Do gardening and housework

• Do stretching exercises while watching television

• Take a brisk walk during your lunch break

• Join a fitness centre near your work, and work out before or after work while you avoid rush hour traffic

• Walk your dog

• Use the stairs instead of the lift

• If you have children, plan active family time such as going to the beach for a swim, or bushwalking

• Get off the bus or train a few stops earlier and walk

• Cycle to work

• Go for a walk after dinner or before breakfast – or both!

• Join your local sports group

Goals:1. Iwillincludeextra

vegetableswithlunchanddinner

2. Iwillwalkfor30minuteseveryday

3. Iwilldrinkwaterinsteadofjuiceandsoftdrink

Diets don’t workFor healthy weight loss ‘dieting’ is not recommended. Rather, we recommend gradual and realistic changes to your food and exercise routine that will last a lifetime.

It’s about balancing your food and exercise and enjoying the positive changes you are making towards a healthier lifestyle. Start by setting 3 goals. Once you have achieved these goals include 3 more goals and so on. Making small changes is a realistic way to a healthier lifestyle that you can maintain forever.

Remember to maintain a healthy body weight

• Eat mainly low energy dense foods such as fruit and vegetables

• Control your portion sizes

• Be physically active every day

www.cancerwa.asn.au

For support and information on cancer and cancer-related issues, call Cancer Council Helpline. This is a confidential service. Available Statewide for the cost of a local call Monday to Friday 8 am – 6 pm

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