Information is everywhere these days—in the mail, on TV, and especially online. But how do you know if the information you're getting is correct? Or, more importantly, correct for you?
The following is a selection of tools and articles that can help you decide which Choose You Commitment could be most beneficial to your health and wellbeing. Every bit of this information has been screened by the American Cancer Society, whose overall goal is to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date information on cancer.
Links marked with indicate an off-site link.
Enter your height and weight below to find your body mass index (BMI).This number is commonly used to judge whether your weight is healthy—or whether extra weight increases your risk for health problems, such as cancer.
Height: feet and inch(es)
Weight: lbs
Your BMI:
Note: The BMI may not be accurate for people with greater muscle mass (such as athletes) or in older people and others who have lost muscle mass.
A doctor can further assess your personal risk for serious weight-related diseases by considering your BMI, waist size, and other measures of health such as blood sugar levels.
Even a small weight loss (10% of your current weight) lowers the risk of several diseases. People who are overweight or obese have a greater chance of developing certain cancers—including breast cancer for women over age 50—as well as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol or other lipid disorders, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Find out how many calories you need each day to maintain your current weight.
Select your activity level:
Sedentary: Activities of daily living only (dressing, cooking, walking to and from the car, etc.). No purposeful exercise.
Light Activity: Activities of daily living, plus the equivalent of walking 2 miles (or about 4,000 steps) per day.
Moderate Activity: Activities of daily living, plus activities like brisk walking (15-20 minutes per mile), dancing, skating, leisurely bicycling, golfing, doubles tennis, mowing the lawn, or yoga 3-5 days per week.
Heavy Activity: Activities of daily living, plus moderate exercise or vigorous exercise (jogging, running, swimming, singles tennis, soccer, basketball, digging, carpentry) most days of the week.
Exceptional Activity: Activities of daily living, plus intensive training for an exercise event like a marathon, triathlon, century bike ride, etc.
To take off 1 pound per week, you need to create a "deficit" of 500 calories per day. You can do this by eating 250 fewer calories a day (for example, cut out a 20-ounce bottle of regular soda) and burning an extra 250 calories through physical activity (for example, walk for 2.5 miles). Another way to cut back on calories is to watch your portion sizes.
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Except for quitting smoking, the best way to cut your risk of cancer is to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, to be physically active on a regular basis, and to make healthy food choices. The evidence for this is strong: Each year, about 550,000 Americans die of cancer; fully one-third of these deaths are linked to poor diet, physical inactivity, and carrying excess weight.
Check Yes or No next to each question, and see how you can keep living smart!
Yes No
You checked Yes on of 12 questions.
Diet alert! Your diet is probably too high in fat and too low in plant foods like vegetables, fruits, and grains. You may want to take a look at your eating habits and find ways to make some changes.
Not bad! You're halfway there! You still have a way to go. Look at your NO answers to help you decide which areas of your diet need to be improved or whether your physical activity level should be increased.
Good for you! You're living smart! Keep up the good habits and keep looking for ways to improve.
Use our calculator to see how much cigarettes cost you.
How much do you pay for a pack of cigarettes?
How many cigarettes are you smoking each day?
When did you start smoking?
Cost per day:
Cost per week:
Cost per month:
Cost per year:
Total cost to date:
Cost if you continue smoking for 1 3 5 10 years:
In this podcast — "Quit Smoking Now" — American Cancer Society Director of Nutrition and Physical Activity Colleen Doyle, MS, RD, and Deputy Chief Medical Officer Len Lichtenfeld, MD, offer some tips to help you quit smoking for good, including how to deal with cravings and potential triggers.
When a craving hits—it may seem intense. But evidence shows, it will subside in about two minutes. So, it's a good idea to find something else to do during your cravings. Take a walk, go get a drink of water, or you could download this nifty Craving Stopper. A memory match game that can distract you and entertain you to help ease you past your craving.
In this podcast — "Prevent Colon Cancer" — American Cancer Society chief medical officer Otis W. Brawley, MD, explains the screening tests available for preventing colon cancer or finding it early. Also, nutrition expert Colleen Doyle shares tips for getting the most out of your next visit to the grocery store.
Sun safety is not just for vacation. Are you sun-safe every day? Take the American Cancer Society's 9-question quiz and find out.
1. I can't get skin cancer, because my routine (work, drive to work, indoor hobbies, and vacations) doesn't include any outdoor activities.
The correct answer is false.
Dermatologists say brief sun exposures all year round can add up to major damage for people with fair skin. And the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays do pass through car windows, so driving during peak sun hours, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., to lunch or on weekends, bathes your hands and arms in damaging UV rays. When added up, everyday exposures are linked to squamous cell cancer. Although not as dangerous as melanoma, squamous cell cancer is far more common and the number of cases has been going up every year.
2. My husband should use sunscreen at football games, even though he only goes (and gets a burn!) once or twice a year.
The correct answer is true.
Many people think it's OK to get a sunburn now and then, but studies show that even occasional exposure to strong sunlight seems to increase the risk of the most serious type of skin cancer, melanoma.
3. If I'm wearing sunscreen, I can stay in the sun as long as I want.
It's not smart to broil in the sun for several hours, even if you are wearing sunscreen. These products don't provide total protection from ultraviolet (UV) rays. The American Cancer Society recommends that people seek shade and limit time in the sun at midday. Also, cover up with a shirt, wear a wide-brimmed hat, use a sunscreen rated SPF 15 or higher, and reapply it about every 2 hours. And don't forget sunglasses for eye protection.
4. A sunscreen labeled SPF 30 blocks twice as much UV radiation as one labeled SPF 15.
The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) describes how long a product will protect your skin, if you apply the sunscreen correctly. Fair-skinned people begin to burn in about 15 minutes on a sunny day, so wearing an SPF 15 sunscreen (if applied and reapplied properly) would prevent sunburn for about 225 minutes (15 SPF x 15 minutes until sun burn= 225), or 3 hours and 45 minutes.
The SPF 30 sunscreen should last for 450 minutes (30 x 15 = 450), or 7 hours and 30 minutes. In practical use, you'll need to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours. Be sure to choose a broad spectrum product that blocks UVB and UVA light and use a lot.
5. It's safe to let my children stay in the pool all day if they slip on a T-shirt after a couple hours and reapply sunscreen to their faces, arms, and legs.
UV rays easily go through a white cotton T-shirt, especially if it's wet. Your children will get only about as much protection as an SPF 4 sunscreen—certainly not enough for all day and well below the minimum of SPF 15 recommended by the ACS. Better clothing choices include dark colors, fabrics with tight weaves, and specially treated garments and bathing suits. Sun-protective clothing is often found at sporting goods stores. Another good choice is moving into the shade.
For babies younger than 6 months, shade, sun-protective clothing, and hats are best. As a last resort, pediatricians now say that very small amounts of sunscreen can be used on small areas, such as the face and back of the hands.
6. How often do you need to reapply water-resistant sunscreen?
The correct answer is all of the above.
For best results, most sunscreens need to be reapplied about every 2 hours or sooner, but be sure to check the label. Sunscreens labeled "water resistant" are made to protect you when swimming or sweating, but may only last for 40 minutes. Also, remember that sunscreen usually rubs off when you towel dry.
7. Getting a "base tan" at an indoor tanning salon is as good way to prevent sunburn when I go to the beach later this summer.
Our experts say a "base tan" gives you very little protection against sunburn. And that goes for indoor tans, too, which provide a sun protective factor of about 4, much less than most sunscreens. A base tan may, if fact, increase the chance you'll get a burn, because you're likely to stay out longer without properly protecting your skin.
Also, tanning itself injures the skin. What you don't see is UV damage to deeper layers, where it builds-up from every tan and burn you've ever had. There really is no such thing as a "safe tan."
8. What are the two most common (and painful!) sunscreen mistakes?
The correct answer is using too little and waiting too long to reapply.
About 1 ounce of sunscreen (a 'palmful') should be used to cover the arms, legs, neck and face of the average adult. For best results, most sunscreens must be reapplied at least every 2 hours and even more often if you are swimming or sweating. Products labeled "waterproof" may provide protection for at least 80 minutes even when you are swimming or sweating. Products that are "water resistant" may provide protection for only 40 minutes.
To be safe use a lot of sunscreen and use it often.
9. Now put it all together. You applied sunscreen at 12:00 noon for an afternoon of reading beside the pool. At 2:00 p.m., which one of the following actions would best protect your skin?
The correct answer is move to the shade. While all 3 actions help, getting out of the mid-day sun is the best choice in this situation. Seeking shade is a key element in preventing skin cancer, especially between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The sundress blocks very little UV radiation because it's made of cotton. It compares to a sunscreen rated SPF 4. Covering up is the right idea, but dark colors, tight weaves, and clothing labeled at least UPF 30 work better. Sunscreen should not be used to extend your time in intense sunlight. It's an important part of a larger strategy that the American Cancer Society recommends to protect your skin, but it does not provide total protection. To get the most from sunscreen, choose products of SPF 15 or higher that block both UVA and UVB rays, reapply at least every 2 hours, and use at least 1 ounce or a palmful for an adult.
You answered out of 9 questions correctly. Visit the American Cancer Society's Sun Safety pages for more information on UV rays and how to be careful in the sun.
This desktop helper can be downloaded to your computer and will offer daily tips on how to fight cancer while having fun, including ideas around being physically active, eating healthy, quitting smoking, and getting regular cancer screening tests. Find out each day how you can add enjoyment to your life while reducing your risk of cancer.