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More than 200,000 people could be spared from cancer over the next 25 years if all Australians maintained a healthy body weight and exercise.
This includes 190,500 potentially preventable cancers related to Australian overweight and another 19,200 related to people who do not exercise at least five hours a week.
The figures appeared in a new study from the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, based in Brisbane, published Monday in the International Journal of Cancer.
The results of the study, funded by the Cancer Council and the National Council of Medical Research on Health and the Federal Government, come to the point that more than two-thirds of adults are considered overweight or obese.
Nearly half of Australians are not active enough.
The cancers with the highest number of potentially avoidable cases are bad, endometrial, bowel and kidney cancers after menopause.
The Executive Director of the Obesity Policy Coalition, Jane Martin, said the number of deaths that could be halted through healthier lifestyles is striking and shows that Australia has a "very serious problem".
"There is a proportion of cancers that can not be prevented, but it shows that there are many who are," she told AAP.
"We must make important policy changes to create an environment that facilitates healthy choice."
Limiting the marketing of junk food to children, introducing a health tax on sugary drinks and improving food labeling are some of the initiatives that Ms. Martin's group could help.
They also recommend funding more effective social marketing campaigns that encourage people to have a healthy weight.
Chair of the Cancer Council, Sanchia Aranda, said both sides of the policy should acknowledge their responsibility to promote greater public awareness of the benefits of good nutrition and exercise.
But individuals can also take steps to reduce their risk of lifestyle-related cancers, she said.
"Improving your diet can be as simple as eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.An easy step is the goal of two and five – two fruits and five servings of vegetables each day," he said. she said.
"In terms of physical activity, if you can not devote yourself to five hours of physical activity a week, it is important to remember that every detail counts.
"So, making an effort to be more active every day can still lead to better health."
Australian Associated Press
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