Watch your salt
The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) encourages everyone to keep their health top of mind as part of its Balanced Lifestyle campaign and places the focus on obesity and cancer, as well as reducing the intake of salt and sugar to reduce the cancer risk.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines overweight and obesity as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a health risk.
Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, including cancer, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. In South Africa there is an alarming increase in obesity with more than 29% of men and 56% of women classified as being overweight or obese, that resulted in over 36 500 deaths in 2004.
“We encourage leading a balanced lifestyle by maintaining a healthy weight and being active, eating a healthy diet that includes plenty of vegetables and fresh fruit in season, limiting and even avoiding alcohol, tobacco products as well as cutting down on fats, salt and sugar.” said Professor Michael Herbst, CANSA’s Head of Health.
March 11 to March 17 is World Salt Awareness Week and a good time to remind all to limit the intake of salt. Salt is essential for the body to function normally. Salt intake from all sources should be 5g per day of which sodium should be less than 2,4mg (one teaspoon of salt per day).
Herbst continued, “CANSA advises also to avoid processed foods and not to add additional salt to food as this increases the risk for stomach and naso-pharyngeal cancers, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.”
High intake of added sugar contributes to the incidence of behavioural problems in children, dental cavities and obesity that leads to the increased risk for non-communicable diseases such as various cancers, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. Added sugar in the diet should not exceed 100 calories (25g) a day for women and 150 calories (37,5g) for men.
Physical activity helps to maintain a healthy weight that will assist in lowering the risk for various types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, prostate, lung, colon and kidney. “Our CANSA Active program raises awareness about leading a balanced lifestyle, playing sport safely in the sun as well as providing education on being cancer-aware by encouraging smart choices with regards to diet and lifestyle. It also gives the opportunity to participate in your favourite sporting activity or race, while raising funds online to support CANSA’s care and support to those affected by cancer,” added Herbst.
