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Health promotion through diet and physical activity
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Short Description: Health promotion through diet and. physical activity. Good nutrition and physical exercise offer many benefits to cancer survivors. These. include: ...
Content Inside: MOST Survivor's Notebook Health promotion through diet and physical activity Good nutrition and physical exercise offer many benefits to cancer survivors. These include: · Healing tissues and organs damaged by cancer and its treatment · Building strength and endurance · Reducing the risk of certain types of cancers and other diseases · Decreasing stress and providing a feeling of well-being Impact of Cancer on Nutrition and Physical Activity The effects of cancer on nutrition and physical activity will be different for each individual survivor. Nutrition can be affected in a number of ways. Some people may have aversions to certain foods due to tastes, smells, or sights associated with their prior therapy. Others may have developed intolerance to certain foods, such as milk products. People who have had radiation to the face or neck may have a lack of saliva that can cause foods to taste pasty and dry. Dental problems can cause problems with chewing food. People who have had radiation to the abdomen or who have chronic graft-versus- host disease after stem cell transplant may have trouble absorbing certain foods. Any of these problems can result in poor nutrition and trouble maintaining a healthy weight. Other survivors may have problems with gaining too much weight. Treatments for cancer that can result in problems with excess weight gain include radiation to the brain, head, or total body. This is more likely to occur if the radiation was given in high doses, or if the person also received treatment with corticosteroids (prednisone or dexamethasone). Associated health problems that may result from radiation and contribute to weight gain include low levels of growth hormone or thyroid hormone. There are many factors that can influence a survivor's ability to perform physical exercise. Individuals who have had an amputation, bone graft or joint replacement surgery, high dosages of radiation to a bone, or joint damage as a result of treatment may have restrictions or limitations in their activities. Heart or lung damage from cancer treatment may also limit the ability to be physically active. Nerve damage from cancer therapy can sometimes impair sensation and coordination. Individuals who have survived brain tumors often have problems with balance and coordination as a result of their tumor, surgery, or therapy. Cancer and its treatment should not be used as an excuse for not eating a healthy diet or staying physically active. However, many survivors, like many people who have never experienced cancer, make lifestyle choices (such as what they eat and how they exercise) that are not always in their best interest. Now is a good time to begin making healthy Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Survivorship Program
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