ukactive CEO David Stalker has spoken out in favour of active lifestyles, following widespread news coverage suggesting that most cancers are the result of bad luck.

A recent study hit the headlines after it stated the majority of cancers could be attributed to chance mutations rather than risk factors associated with an unhealthy lifestyle.

In their paper Variation in cancer risk among tissues can be explained by the number of stem cell divisions, researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health in the US claimed two thirds of cancer types are simply attributable to random DNA mutations.

However, Stalker cited Cancer Research UK figures that say four out of 10 cases of cancer could have been prevented by making key lifestyle changes, such as being physical active and eating healthier. He asked: “Why would you leave something as important as your health down to luck?”

The ukactive chief also quoted Macmillan Cancer statistics identifying that cancer survivors can reduce their risk of cancer-specific death and recurrence by up to 50 per cent by staying active. Meanwhile, Breakthrough Breast Cancer has estimated that women can reduce their risk of developing breast cancer by at least 20 per cent by being physically active regularly.

“We know that by having an active and healthy lifestyle we significantly reduce the risk of developing cancer as well as a whole host of other chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease,” said Stalker.

“By making the decision to be more active and improve our eating habits, it may not be a guarantee against cancer, but it certainly improves the odds in our favour.”

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