Get used to a healthy lifestyle

The need for a healthy lifestyle is strongly recommended as a preventive measure for cancer.

Eating the right amount of fruit and vegetables is important to reduce cancer risks, says Cancer Council NSW. Two fruits and five veggies each day are the minimum recommended quantities.

Several programmes are being conducted to create awareness of the need to practice better eating habits. The programmes are mainly targeted at parents.

A programme titled ‘Eat It To Beat IT’ educates parents on why fruit and vegetables are so important for children. It is mainly targeted at parents of primary school age children.

As part of the programme ‘Health Lunch Box’ sessions are held particularly for parents who have children starting kindergarten. They are told of the need to pack fruit and vegetables in the lunch box every day and are helped with easy ideas. The Council is planning to develop a new digital resource as a simple, portable and accessible way for parents to get quick tips on lunches for kids.

The effectiveness of these programmes is evaluated and where necessary, improvements are made. The NSW Ministry of Health had provided over $100,000 for the evaluation exercise. While it has been found they had been effective in raising awareness of the importance of fruit and vegetable consumption, some areas for improvement have also been highlighted. 

The Council also investigates the use of health claims in marketing and sponsorships to ensure that they are not used by manufacturers to promote unhealthy foods. Australians being heavy coffee drinkers, research has found that many unknowingly consume their daily sugar and fat limits through coffee drinking. “Snack choices may be a significant factor in the rising obesity rates in raising obesity rates in adults, increasing their risks of cancer,” the Council warns.

Sport sponsorship

Research has also found that children involved in sports are being exposed to ‘unhealthy’ messages from sport sponsorships. It has been found that 90% of food companies involved in junior sport sponsorships sold unhealthy food or drink. The Council has alerted parents to voice their concerns. The Council wants the sponsorship of sports programmes for children included in food marketing regulation to reduce the impact that junk food marketing has on children. 

The Council has also launched a ‘Healthy Sports Initiative’ to encourage healthier, cancer-smart environments for young cricketers and their families. It is the Council’s first programme to focus on behavioural change for more than one risk factor for cancer. It will build capacity for cricket clubs to create healthier environments by addressing five health standards over three years. They are: sun protection, smoke-free environments, alcohol management, healthy eating, and healthy sponsorship and fundraising.

‘Improve your long game’ is the Council’s skin prevention campaign for men aged 40 and above promoted through golf clubs. It encourages golfers to use sun protection every time they play. Free sunscreen is offered along the golf course and information on cancer risk is provided.