Lower Cancer Risk | However, the American Association for Cancer Research reports that nearly half of all deaths related to cancer could have been prevented if those individuals had made healthier lifestyle choices.

In previous years, smoking was thought to be the number one leading risk factor for most chronic diseases and illnesses, but while the national smoking rate has significantly declined, other factors and behaviors such as obesity, unhealthy eating, and lack of exercise are contributing to an even greater rise in cancer and chronic illness.

The report published by the American Association for Cancer Research says that although diet and exercise are extremely important in regards to preventing and warding off cancer, most public-health messages tend to focus on warning people against type 2 diabetes and heart disease — and not on cancer. Some experts speculate that perhaps touting obesity as a leading risk factor for cancer could help prevent Americans from overeating and leading sedentary lifestyles.

If you happen to be overweight or obese individual, it’s not too late to lower your risk for cancer by introducing exercise and healthier foods to your life. If you’ve tried losing weight through conventional methods of diet and exercise and have failed to do so, you can look into undergoing bariatric surgery, also known as weight-loss surgery, which has been proven to help individuals reverse comorbidities related to excess weight, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and more.