Page 47 - August 2016 Life In Naples Magazine
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there is every indication that everyone benefits without regard to consumption has also been called
race, gender, or ethnicity when good lifestyle factors are embraced. “wasteful calories,” which gets us to the
next common evil.
The four factors: Quitting smoking, cutting back on alcohol
consumption, maintaining a healthy weight, and exercising APPROPRIATE BODY MASS
regularly. These steps could reduce the number of cancer deaths by INDEX (BMI)
half and reduce the number of new cancer diagnosis by as much
as 70 percent. Having a BMI between 18.5 and
27.5 also has been shown to be associated
We as a nation—and more importantly as individuals—can and with a lower incidence of cancer.
should change our behavior for the better to decrease the chances
of being afflicted with cancer. Better personal behavior will also BMI is calculated as the ratio
decrease the incidence of heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, mental between height and weight, and can
illness, and other afflictions. easily be found on the internet. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm Although not a
TOBACCO AVOIDANCE perfect measure because some people can be extremely muscular,
it is an easy metric to follow over time.
Number One on the list is always avoiding the use of tobacco.
Since 1955, when the association between smoking and lung More than 60 percent of Americans are overweight, obese,
cancer was first discovered at Roswell Park Memorial Institute by or morbidly obese and we are now second only to Mexico as the
Dr. Morton L. Levine, the cause of about 90 percent of lung cancer fattest nation in the history of civilization.
has been known. The tobacco industry’s conspiracy to deceive was
challenged in a Federal lawsuit subsequently and, with time, the Making the healthy choice the easiest choice has proven to
rate of smoking in America has dropped from 42 percent to the be beneficial for entire communities. Restaurants, grocery stores,
current 15 percent. schools, homeowner associations, and faith-based communities
have all benefited their patrons, shoppers, students, residents,
I had the privilege and pleasure of working with Dr. Levine and congregations by offering healthier choices. The Blue
at the end of his career and the beginning of mine when I was a Zones Project in southwest Florida has been sharing locally the
National Science Summer Program student. Many people believe successful experiences of 26 other communities. We have made
Dr. Levine might have been a Nobel Prize recipient had it not good objective progress already, as the most recent Healthways-
been for the tobacco industry’s effective pro-smoking marketing Gallup poll identified Collier County as the “Healthiest and
campaign. (Think about the Marlboro Man, Virginia Slims or the Happiest Community” in the nation.
slogan “I’d walk a mile for a Camel” challenging the rationality of
our nation.) PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
The rate of kicking the habit has recently accelerated, with the Weekly aerobic physical activity—defined as at least 75 vigorous-
most current year showing the biggest one-year decrease of three intensity or 150 moderate-intensity minutes per week—is the last of
percent. A new concern is the emergence of electronic cigarettes the big four attributes to decrease the incidence of cancer.
whose medical risks are as yet unknown. Also it is unclear if
electronic cigarettes are helping people quit, or hooking a younger Walking about five miles per day or 10,000 steps meets the
population onto nicotine and subsequently other tobacco products. Surgeon General’s recommendation for 30 minutes of moderate
Time will tell, but it would be tragic in many ways for the use of activity per day. Walking is just as effective as running, but takes
tobacco in any form to become more common. about twice as long to accomplish the same results. Beginners
should break the walking into smaller increments of 3-10
AVOIDING HEAVY ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION minutes per day. Just starting is the hardest part. Lacing up your
sneakers breaks the ice. Having a friend to chat with along the
If you don’t drink alcohol, don’t start. If you do drink, there is way is a remarkably effective exercise tip to help sustain this good
significant evidence that limiting consumption to one drink per behavior.
day for a woman or man over age 65 and two drinks per day under
65 is considered moderate and probably not harmful. There is IN CONCLUSION
some evidence that this amount of alcohol can actually be helpful.
Not much can yet be done for the bad luck of having some
In four of the five communities around the world where more cells in our body going haywire. But vigilance, early diagnosis, and
people live to be 100, one of the nine common factors is drinking appropriate therapy can really make a difference for the better.
red wine while socializing at the end of the day before dinner.
Helping all of us live a longer, happier, and healthier life by at
Please note that the size of the drink matters. The absolute least decreasing the chances of developing cancer is a worthwhile
alcohol content of one 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine goal and not that difficult. Because it is just as easy to learn and
or 1.5-ounce mixed drink are roughly equivalent. Alcohol sustain good habits as it is bad ones.
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