A large body of research suggests that up to one third of cancers could be prevented with increased vegetable and fruit consumption, increased physical activity and maintenance of health body weight. This is comparable to the number of cancers that could be prevented through stopping smoking, claims the Canadian government organisation.
But the survey suggests that 40 per cent of Ontarians do not meet the Canada's Food Guide recommendations of five to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. This in relation to 48 per cent of Ontario adults above a healthy weight range, inlcuding 12 per cent of obese. Significantly more men than women were overweight or obese.
"Each day we should be eating a few more fruits and vegetables and including a bit more physical activity as well as keeping our weight in a healthy range," said Dr Terry Sullivan, vice-president of research and cancer control at Cancer Care Ontario (CCO). "What this survey shows is that there's a fair bit of room for improvements that will go a long way in reducing our cancer risk."
The survey, carried out by Cancer Care Ontario and several partners, included more than 3,000 participants, aged 18 to 64 from all regions of the province. This is the first time in 10 years that a survey of this type has been conducted.
It also found limited variation from region to region in the proportion of adults eating five or more servings of vegetables and fruit per day, ranging from a low of 55 per cent in the Northwest region (including Thunder Bay) to a high of 62 per cent in the Central East region (including Toronto).
The high rate of vegetable and fruit consumption in the Central East region may by explained, in part, by the large population of immigrants whose diet differs from North American and European diets. More limited access to fresh, high-quality vegetables and fruit in the Northwest region may explain the lower fruit and vegetable intake, suggest the authors.
The results of the survey are published in Insight on Cancer - news and information on nutrition and cancer prevention, published by the Canadian Cancer Society (Ontario Division) and Cancer Care Ontario.