CINJ experts available to discuss importance of healthy diet and its role in cancer prevention

March is National Nutrition Month®. "Get Your Plate in Shape" is the national theme for this year's month-long reminder that good nutrition is essential for your heath. Throughout the month, experts from The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) will be available to discuss the importance of a healthy diet and its role in cancer prevention. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

National Nutrition Month®: Annually sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association), National Nutrition Month® aims to spotlight the importance of healthy eating habits, better food choices, and maintaining a physically active lifestyle.

According to the 2012 American Cancer Society (ACS) Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines for Cancer Prevention, the following recommendations were made to ensure a healthier lifestyle:
•Achieve and maintain a healthy weight throughout life
•Adopt a physically active lifestyle
•Consume a healthier diet, with an emphasis on plant foods
•If you drink alcoholic beverages, limit consumption
•For more information, visit: ACS Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines for Cancer Prevention

CINJ experts available for comment include:

Elisa Bandera, MD, PhD, an epidemiologist at CINJ and an associate professor of epidemiology at both UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and UMDNJ-School of Public Health, is a leading researcher in diet and cancer prevention and can speak on the links between nutrition and cancer. Dr. Bandera was a member of the ACS 2012 Committee on Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines for Cancer Prevention, which developed the Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines for Cancer Prevention.

"Weight control, physical activity, and diet are among the most important components of cancer prevention. If people realize that by simply altering their eating habits and adopting a more physically active lifestyle they can lower their risk of cancer, many lives can be spared," said Bandera, who was also involved in the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) Second Report on Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer and is currently serving as a member of the WCRF/AICR Continuous Update Expert Panel, which aims to issue international dietary recommendations for cancer prevention (www.wcrf.org).