The frequency of changes in colorectal cancer incidence and mortality among a wide range of international, migrating populations from low to high incidence areas suggests that both lifestyle habits and environmental factors influence the progression of this malignancy. The following is a summary of the results of the analyzed epidemiological studies on dietary factors, obesity, physical activity and the application of postmenopausal hormones, tobacco, alcohol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Dietary patterns are an important cause of colorectal cancer, and the epidemiological and experimental basis for this is receiving attention. In Western cultures, about 50% of colorectal cancers are caused by dietary factors. However, the idea that some specific nutrient, food, or combination of nutrients and food is responsible for the progression of colorectal cancer is currently debated. The interrelationship between energy intake and colon cancer is a challenge to determine because total energy intake itself is associated with a number of nutritional and non-nutritional factors, both of which may themselves be associated with colon cancer incidence. Variation in energy intake among individuals in the same population is largely influenced by physical activity level, metabolic rate and body size factors. Both weight gain and weight loss are determined by the balance between energy intake and expenditure, and slight imbalance between the two can lead to more significant changes in body weight. These studies based on energy intake can create a conceptual confusion, as the concept of energy intake may be a proxy for other determinants, such as physical activity. These factors themselves may influence the incidence of colon cancer. A mixed analysis of 13 case-control studies by Howe found an association between total energy intake and higher incidence of colon cancer, regardless of the source of food: fat, protein or carbohydrate. The findings of three case-control studies reported by Slattery et al. suggest that total energy intake is more important than specific sources of energy (e.g., fat, protein, carbohydrate). In contrast to the findings of the case-control studies, the results of the cohort studies did not show a positive association between total energy intake and the incidence of colon cancer, and even showed a mild negative association. In one cohort study, a statistically significant relative risk between the highest and lowest quintile of total energy intake was reported at 0.62. The case-control study of total energy intake and colon cancer incidence differed somewhat from the cohort study, and the reasons for this difference may be related to methodological biases in the trial, such as differences in recall of previous diet, the selection of cases, or the selection of patients in the cohort study. the selection of cases enrolled in the study, or the survival factors of the cases in the case-control study. Regardless of the reasons for the differences in results, it is important to look at the determinants of energy intake, such as physical activity and body size, from the perspective of public health observations.