Slim pickings

A new study finds that staying thin may be the best way to stay healthy.

We really don't mean to spoil your Diwali, but while you're happily gorging on sweets and rich foods, you might want to watch your weight a bit. This, especially after a recent study has said that being thin can drastically cut the risk of cancer.

Though the study also mentions bacon and ham as major factors contributing to the development of cancer, doctors and experts are not convinced about the effects of these foods. What is clear, however, is that maintaining your body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 25 is healthy and below or above that range could prove to be unhealthy. In fact, the study also points out that if you are thin but still above the BMI 25 mark, you need to lose weight to cut down your cancer risk. Sugar and alcohol intake also needs to be curbed. The study, conducted by the World Cancer Research Fund by investigating 7,000 existing documents and studies, also suggests that the risk of cancer increases with age.

"It is safest to stick to vegetarian food since the maximum risk of cancer comes from smoking, alcohol and red meat," says Dr Surendra S Shastri, professor and head, department of preventive oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital. Despite this, some experts also believe that a small amount of alcohol can actually prevent certain other diseases and should thus be taken in moderation. The key finding of the study though is the decrease in risk of cancer by cutting down your weight and body fat, reinstating previous advice that in some cases cancer can be prevented by a healthier lifestyle. At the same time, it also estimates the significance of body fat as a key factor in the development of cancer to be much higher than previously thought.

The study makes a set of recommendations, which according to some experts are far-fetched. These include no weight gain after 21 years of age, daily exercise, zero intake of dietary supplements, limited consumption of alcohol and red meat and avoidance of bacon, ham and other processed meats.