Cancer survival does not encourage a healthier lifestyle

It could be thought that with the announcement of a diagnosis as terrifying as cancer, many would be encouraged to improve their lifestyle habits. However, the analysis of data collected from more than 114,000 Canadians shows that this is unfortunately not the case. Most cancer survivors are in fact just as inactive and sedentary as the rest of the general population.

These observations suggest that being diagnosed with cancer does not seem to provoke significant improvements in the dietary habits and level of physical activity of those who have received such terrible news. One lone exception was noted in patients who were diagnosed with prostate cancer. They had a lower risk of being obese, and had a greater chance of being physically active regularly. These observations are indeed troubling, as numerous studies have already demonstrated that cancer patients have a lot to win by adopting healthier lifestyle habits. Obesity and physical inactivity are specifically associated with a lower quality of life among cancer survivors and could even increase their risk of disease recurrence, and even death.

Therefore, even if you have been diagnosed with cancer, it is important you take really good care of yourself and adopt a healthier lifestyle. Not only could this contribute to your physical well-being, it could also improve your mood and help you be more positive, while lowering your risk of a relapse.