A new report by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)/American Institute for Cancer Research warns that excess body fat increases a person's risk for numerous cancers. The report states in no uncertain terms that the more you weigh, the greater your risk of developing cancer. It is a rigorous study on the links between food, physical activity and cancer-and sets out sources of risk.

Individually (except for smoking) these risks are quite small. Roughly speaking, smoking is responsible for a third of cancers; poor food and lack of exercise result in another third; and other causes account for the rest. Some of this last third are known: genetic predisposition, ultraviolet sunlight and pollutants such as pesticides. But the picture is incomplete.

The report gives nine recommendations to help avoid cancer.

1. Be as lean as possible.

2. Be active.

3. Avoid energy-dense foods and sugary drinks.

4. Eat mostly plants.

5. Back off on the red meat.

6. Limit alcohol.

7. Avoid salty foods.

8. Get your daily nutrients from the foods you eat, not from supplements.

9. Breast-feed your baby.

This release ignited anger in parts of the red meat community this week.

"WCRF's conclusions are extreme, unfounded and out of step with dietary guidelines," said American Meat Institute Foundation Vice President of Scientific Affairs Randy Huffman, Ph.D. "Headlines associated with this report may give consumers another case of nutrition whiplash. The consistent finding in diet and cancer research is inconsistency. No health groups should be dispensing clear-cut recommendations on specific foods when studies continue to contradict each other time after time."

Huffman stressed that the recommendations stand in sharp contrast to mainstream advice in the U.S. Dietary Guidelines.

The full report can be accessed at www.dietandcancerreport.org.

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