UICC Anti-Obesity Campaign

On World Cancer Day, 4 February 2009, the International Union Against Cancer

(UICC) will launch “I love my healthy active childhood”, the second full-year

theme in our “Today’s children, tomorrow’s world” cancer prevention campaign. The

prevalence of overweight and obesity is rising dramatically among adults and

children around the world. Being overweight or obese has been shown to increase

the risk of cancer among adults.

On World Cancer Day, 4 February 2009, the International Union Against Cancer

(UICC) will launch “I love my healthy active childhood”, the second full-year

theme in our “Today’s children, tomorrow’s world” cancer prevention campaign. The

prevalence of overweight and obesity is rising dramatically among adults and

children around the world. Being overweight or obese has been shown to increase

the risk of cancer among adults.


It is estimated that one third of breast cancer cases are due to overweight and

lack of physical activity, a fact highlighted by EUROPA DONNA – The European

Breast Cancer Coalition for its Breast Health Day on 15 October. Women should

pursue a health strategy that will reduce the known breast cancer risk factors as

much as possible, including avoiding obesity and weight gain, increasing physical

activity and managing lifestyle choices. There is growing evidence that there is

a protective association between physical activity and breast cancer, preferably

over a lifetime, but probably beneficial even if begun after menopause.


Therefore Europa Donna Ireland strongly supports the campaign to encourage

children to eat a healthy diet, be physically active and maintain a healthy body

weight. This will make it far more likely that they will develop into healthy and

active adults, thus decreasing their risk of developing various cancers,

including breast cancer.


For more information on


•    Breast Health Day and issues relating to obesity and physical activity   

www.breasthealthday.org


•    UICC campaign    www.uicc.org

Subscribe to our newsletter

Follow us on social media

Scroll to Top