Want to live strong? Here are the top five tips from the American Cancer Society,
Avoid tanning beds. Here’s why:
- Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 years old and the second most common form of cancer for adolescents and young adults 15-29 years old.
- Seventy-one percent of tanning salon patrons are females, ages 16-29.
- First exposure to tanning beds in youth increases melanoma risk by 75 percent, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.
Quit smoking. It’s already been said, but bears repeating. Not smoking is one of the best ways to live a long and healthy life. In the US, tobacco use is responsible for one in five deaths, and accounts for at least 30 percent of all cancer deaths and 87 percent of lung cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society. Visit http://www.cancer.org/ for online resources to help you quit.
Make healthy food choices. Each year, about 550,000 Americans die of cancer; one-third of these deaths are linked to poor diet, physical inactivity, and carrying excess weight. Choose oatmeal over a doughnut; tuna salad instead of a bowl of ramen noodles; popcorn over late-night pizza. Eat regularly and make it as healthy as you can.
Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. According to the 2007 Pennsylvania Department of Health Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, approximately 45 percent of adults (ages 18-29) were overweight and 19 percent were considered obese. Being overweight causes the body to produce and circulate more of the hormones estrogen and insulin, which can stimulate cancer growth.
Be physically active on a regular basis. Try to work in about 60 minutes a day of physical activity. Go to the gym, run, take a walk or ride a bike.