It’s Christmas Day and the culmination of the season of giving. The American Cancer Society is offering an idea for what could be a life-saving gift for the New Year. ACS spokeswoman Kathy Holdefer says it’s a list of 12 things Nebraskans can do to stay cancer-free.
She says a lot of people don’t realize they have a lot of control over their health and risk for cancer than they might think. In Nebraska, the lifetime risk of cancer is about one in two for men and one in three for women. Holdefer says most of the dozen ideas for staying cancer-free are inexpensive and relatively easy to carry out — with a little will power.
Holdefer says one is be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day at least five days a week, something as easy as walking the dog or going ice skating. Another is eating more fruits and vegetables instead of sweets. Holdefer says most peopled don’t know they can improve their chances of never getting cancer.
A study that came out in August of this year showed that people underestimate the control they have over preventing cancer and tend to blame environmental factors. She says two-thirds of cancer deaths are caused by tobacco use and poor exercise and lack of physical activity.
Holdefer says you can help yourself or someone else by following the tips, which you can find online. To find the nearest Nebraska chapter and to learn more about the tips for preventing cancer, visit the American Cancer Society website at: www.cancer.org/greatAmerican. Or you can call 1-800-ACS-2345 to learn more about the tips for preventing cancer.