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Responding to the NHS Information Centre’s ‘Statistics on obesity, physical activity and diet: England 2012’, Jacqui Graves, Head of Healthcare at Macmillan Cancer Support, says:
“For a long time, people have been told that eating healthily, exercising regularly and not smoking can improve their health and well-being so it is encouraging to see that children are taking one of these messages on board with the decline in the amount of sugary foods and chocolate they are eating. “However it is also important that young people are physically active so that they can carry these healthy lifestyle choices through into adulthood. Recommendations are that children should take at least an hour’s moderate to vigorous physical activity every day and adults should take at least two and a half hours of moderate physical activity a week[1]. “No one chooses to have cancer and it would be wrong to blame people for making less healthy lifestyle choices. What we do know is that by being physically active you can reduce the risk of getting cancer and may reduce the risk of recurrence. There needs to be a behavioural shift, so that people see physical activity as an integral part of their lives, not just an optional add-on.”
“For a long time, people have been told that eating healthily, exercising regularly and not smoking can improve their health and well-being so it is encouraging to see that children are taking one of these messages on board with the decline in the amount of sugary foods and chocolate they are eating.
“However it is also important that young people are physically active so that they can carry these healthy lifestyle choices through into adulthood. Recommendations are that children should take at least an hour’s moderate to vigorous physical activity every day and adults should take at least two and a half hours of moderate physical activity a week[1].
“No one chooses to have cancer and it would be wrong to blame people for making less healthy lifestyle choices. What we do know is that by being physically active you can reduce the risk of getting cancer and may reduce the risk of recurrence. There needs to be a behavioural shift, so that people see physical activity as an integral part of their lives, not just an optional add-on.”
Claire Keuls, Media & PR Officer 020 7840 4872 (Out of hours 07801 307 068) ckeuls@macmillan.org.uk|
[1] Start active, stay active: a report on physical activity from the four home countries’ Chief Medical Officers. 2011. Department of Health.
Macmillan Cancer Support has developed a teaching pack for schools to help pupils make informed lifestyle choices. For more information or to order a ‘Keep healthy, be active’ pack visit www.macmillan.org.uk/teachingpacks.|
Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people affected by cancer, providing practical, medical, emotional and financial support. Working alongside people affected by cancer, Macmillan works to improve cancer care. One in three of us will get cancer. Two million of us are living with it. If you are affected by cancer Macmillan can help.
Call the Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm. Calls are free, including from mobiles or visit www.macmillan.org.uk|.