Obesity, inactivity as common among cancer survivors as rest of Canadians, s...(ht or obese compared to 52 per cent of C...),Health

• male cancer survivors were more likely to be overweight or obese than female cancer survivors (62 per cent versus 47 per cent);

• the lowest levels of physical activity were among colorectal cancer survivors, breast cancer survivors and female melanoma survivors;

• the highest levels of physical activity and lowest levels of obesity were among prostate cancer survivors; skin cancer survivors were also more active than the general population.

The research findings show the percentage of cancer patients who are overweight and inactive is comparable to the rest of Canadians.

Its a challenge for all of us to eat properly and exercise, and it may be especially challenging for cancer survivors who have been through difficult treatments and may have lingering health issues, says Dr. Courneya. But eating well and exercising are two of the best things we can do for our mental and physical health, even in trying times. Rest is rarely the best medicine for any health condition.

Survey questions asked details about survivors levels, types and quantity of physical activity during the previous three months, such as walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, skating, dancing and playing sports. From the answers obtained, researchers were able to determineand labelhow physically active the participant was during treatment and recovery.

Physically active is defined as the equivalent of one hour of walking a day, moderately active is equal to 30 minutes a day and inactive is less than 30 minutes of walking a day.

Obese is defined as having a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or higher. (BMI is a persons weight in kilograms divided by their height in metres squared). Overweight is defined as having a BMI of 25 or higher.

The Canadian Cancer Society has funded previous research showin
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