Nutrition and exercise in cancer survivors

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States in the past 2 decades. According to a recent report, 36% of the adult population currently has a body mass index of more than 30 kg/m², which is the diagnostic for obesity.¹ If we focus only on the US adult cancer survivor population, then the magnitude of being overweight or obese is notably higher, ranging from 52% to 68%.² In adult survivors of childhood cancer, several factors are associated with increased risk for obesity, such as hypothalamic or pituitary radiation, the use of certain antidepressants, and lifestyle factors.³

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