Healthy Lifestyle Key To Cancer Prevention

The causes of the obesity epidemic in the United States are complex, Kripke said. The epidemic started in the 1970s about the time that food makers started using high fructose corn syrup as an additive. In addition, portion sizes in restaurants increased as schools cut back on exercise programs.

The obesity problem has grown steadily over the past 30 years. "I don't think there is going to be a quick fix," she said.

One recommendation the panel made in the report is to have subsidies for corn farmers curtailed. "There doesn't seem to be coordination between agricultural subsidies and public health policy for diet and nutrition," Kripke said.

"Subsidies for corn make corn syrup very cheap and it's not nutritionally what you want in all of your foods," Kripke said. "It might make more sense to make agricultural subsidies for fruits and vegetables that would be more healthy for the population."

Although the White House doesn't usually comment on the report, Kripke hopes that it will spur government officials to develop programs that help people make necessary lifestyle changes.

One expert agreed that societal changes are to blame for ever-heavier Americans.

"Obesity has been brought about by changes in our environment, not by any increase in the number of susceptible people," said Eugenia Calle, director of Analytic Epidemiology at the American Cancer Society.

Calle argues that while once fats and sugars were relatively expensive, they are now cheap. "It used to be impossible to buy a great deal of calories for $2.99, and now it is possible to buy one day's allotment of calories for less than $10," she said. "So now calorie-dense foods are cheap."

In contrast, fruits and vegetables are more expensive than they used to be, Calle said. "So, it becomes economically more difficult to make good food choices, especially if you don't have a lot of income," she said. In addition, people have become more sedentary, she added.

"The best idea in the report is implementing a culture of wellness in the U.S., so that the social and cultural norm is one of health," Calle said.

More information

For more information on cancer and lifestyle, visit the American Cancer Society.

SOURCES: Margaret L. Kripke, Ph.D., executive vice president and chief academic officer, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston; Eugenia Calle, Ph.D., director, Analytic Epidemiology, American Cancer Society, Atlanta; Aug. 16, 2007,Promoting Healthy Lifestyles: 2006-2007 Annual Report, President's Cancer Panel