Alberta Health Services says physical inactivity is pushing up cancer levels.
The province’s health provider announced on Tuesday that more than 12,000 people in Alberta develop cancer each year because of excess body weight and inactivity.
They say more women than men are affected by the disease.
The study, led by an AHS epidemiologist found that in 2007, more than 5,700 cases of cancer were attributed to excess body weight and more than 12, 800 were the result of an inactive lifestyle.
The study’s author Dr. Darren Brenner says an energy imbalance – taking in more calories than are burned through physical activity – can lead to several different types of cancers.
He says only about 15 to 20 per cent of people in Alberta are getting the minimum amount of activity recommended for cancer prevention.
Health Canada and the American Cancer Society both recommend a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, such as high-intensity walking, a week.
About 16,000 cancer cases are diagnosed in Alberta each year.
Comments