2020 ACS Guideline on Diet and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention

The American Cancer Society just updated the guideline on diet and physical activity for cancer prevention, which is consistent with guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association for the prevention of coronary heart disease and diabetes as well as for general health promotion. Recommendations for individuals: 1. Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight throughout life. 2. Be physically active. Adults should engage in 150‐300 min of moderate‐intensity physical activity per week, or 75‐150 min of vigorous‐intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination; achieving or exceeding the upper limit of 300 min is optimal. Children and adolescents should engage in at least 1 hour of moderate‐ or vigorous‐intensity activity each day. Limit sedentary behavior, such as sitting, lying down, and watching television, and other forms of screen‐based entertainment. 3. Follow a healthy eating pattern at all ages. A healthy eating pattern includes: Foods that are high in nutrients in amounts that help achieve and maintain a healthy body weight; a variety of vegetables—dark green, red, and orange, fiber‐rich legumes (beans and peas), and others; fruits, especially whole fruits with a variety of colors; and whole grains. A healthy eating pattern limits or does not include red and processed meats; sugar‐sweetened beverages; or highly processed foods and refined grain products. 4. It is best not to drink alcohol. People who do choose to drink alcohol should limit their consumption to no more than 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men. There were also recommendation for community action. These risk factors accounted for the second highest percentages of cancer cases and deaths, after cigarette smoking. Source: https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/