Friday, February 18, 2011

Nutrition Guidelines Needed for Cancer Survivors

In today's Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, Ph.D., R.D., the Associate Director for Cancer Prevention and Control at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses evidence supporting nutritional recommendations for cancer survivors, of which there are more than 12 million in the United States alone.

Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight should be a high priority for survivors, including at least 30 minutes of exercise daily, a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, and limited consumption of red and processed meats as well as alcohol.

The impact of healthy eating and physical activity and its relation to cancer cannot be overemphasized. Evidence continues to mount that unhealthy eating, lack of physical activity and obesity are also related to the development of cancer. And with the publication today, we are even more cognizant of the role that this plays in survivorship.

As residents of the Deep South, we live in a section of the country where obesity is a significant problem, and we must all work together to begin to mitigate this epidemic.

-Ed Partridge, M.D.

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