The World Cancer Research Fund recommends that women should exercise for at least 30 minutes a day to lose excess fat, drink less alcohol, and get regular physical activity to reduce their risk of breast cancer. Breast cancer is a major killer of women’s health. Every year, 12,000 women die of breast cancer in the UK and 45,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. New research by the World Cancer Research Fund shows that the high incidence of breast cancer is mainly attributed to unhealthy lifestyles such as alcohol abuse and lack of physical activity, and that changing these lifestyles could reduce the number of breast cancer cases in the UK by more than 18,000 per year. The strong link The World Cancer Research Fund has published a new study revealing the strong link between lifestyle and breast cancer. Martin Wiseman, a medical advisor to the foundation, was quoted in the UK’s Daily Mail on Sept. 1 as saying, “We are now even more certain that controlling the amount of alcohol consumed, maintaining a healthy weight and increasing exercise can significantly reduce a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.” Wiseman said, “We predict that a simple change in poor lifestyle can reduce breast cancer incidence by 40%. In addition, there is evidence that breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer in mothers while preventing children from gaining weight.” Health Crisis About one in five women in the UK are obese. Studies have found that obese women die from breast cancer at a rate 50 percent higher than other women. And the more severe the obese condition the greater the risk of breast cancer. Research suggests that excess fat affects the body’s hormonal balance and that estrogen released by fat cells increases the risk of breast cancer in obese women. In addition, alcohol also stimulates estrogen production, which in turn increases the chance of developing cancer. Studies show that drinking a large glass of wine a day can increase a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer by 25 percent. Experts warn that if women continue to binge on alcohol and allow their weight to increase, breast cancer will become more prevalent. Don Shenk, head of the British anti-alcohol group Alcohol Concern, said: “In the last 10 years, women’s alcohol abuse has become increasingly serious. Alcohol abuse can cause more than 40 diseases. We are in the midst of a community-wide health crisis. The government should step up and make everyone aware of the dangers of chronic alcohol abuse.” The Way to Fight Cancer The World Cancer Research Fund recommends that women should exercise for at least 30 minutes a day to lose excess fat. Body mass index (BMI) is a commonly used measure of weight and leanness, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. A BMI between 18 and 25 is considered normal weight, while experts recommend that people try to lose weight within the normal weight range. In addition, people should control the amount of alcohol they drink, no more than 2 units per day for men and 1 unit for women. 1 unit means about 286 milliliters of beer or a small glass of wine. Study leader Arlene Wilkie said, “Maintaining a healthy weight and regular physical activity can prevent diseases, including breast cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis and certain other types of cancer.”