Nutrition and fitness

We wish we could tell you that preventing cancer was as simple as eating a certain food or doing a certain exercise, but we can’t. This much, though, is clear:

You have a higher risk of developing cancer if you are overweight. Staying at a healthy body weight reduces your risk of cancer.
Eating well – lots of veggies and fruit, lots of fibre, and little fat and sugar – will help you keep a healthy body weight.
Regular physical activity helps protect against cancer. It’s also one of the best ways to help you stay at a healthy body weight, which reduces your risk of cancer.
Red meat and processed meat increase your risk of cancer.

Food for thought

About one-third of all cancers can be prevented by eating well, being active and maintaining a healthy body weight.

The science is clear: it’s the overall pattern of living that’s important. You can lower your risk if you move more, stay lean and eat plenty of vegetables and fruit, as well as other plant foods such as whole grains and beans.

Local resources

Mix it up!
The Mix it up! campaign is a social marketing initiative aimed at helping Canadians of all ages eat more fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet and active lifestyle to better their health.

Alberta Centre for Active Living
The Alberta Centre for Active Living is a key advocate of physical activity and physical activity expertise, and a primary source of research and education on physical activity for practitioners, organizations and decision-makers.

Alberta Learning’s K-12 Physical Education Program
The aim of the K-12 Physical Education Program is to enable individuals to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to lead an active, healthy lifestyle.

Alberta Milk
Alberta Milk is a non-profit organization representing the province's dairy producers and undertakes a variety of activities that represent the interests of Alberta's dairy producers and support the goals and objectives of the organization.

Breakfast for Learning Alberta
Breakfast for Learning is a national charity that educates, and empowers communities to deliver school based nutrition programs, helping children and youth realize their full potential in life.

Dietitians of Canada
The Dieticians of Canada website provides comprehensive information on food and nutrition, and related programming.

Drop the Pop
Drop the Pop NWT challenge is a campaign that encourages northern students, their families, and their communities to make healthier and more traditional beverage choices.

Food First Foundation, NWT
Food First is a registered non-profit whose mission is to support nutrition education programs in schools with the goal of encouraging a healthy population of children and youth for future generations.

Health Canada
The Health Canada website provides a wealth of information on food and nutrition including Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating.

Printed: 12 august 2013

The information that the Canadian Cancer Society provides does not replace your relationship with your doctor. The information is for your general use, so be sure to talk to a qualified healthcare professional before making medical decisions or if you have questions about your health. We do our best to make sure that the information we provide is accurate and reliable but cannot guarantee that it is error-free or complete. The Canadian Cancer Society is not responsible for the quality of the information or services provided by other organizations and mentioned on cancer.ca, nor do we endorse any service, product, treatment or therapy.