For the third year in a row, the American Cancer Society and Weight Watchers teamed up to inform the public that if they lower their weight they can lower their risk of getting cancer.

    BEIJING, March. 3 -- For the third year in a row, the American Cancer Society have partnered with Weight Watchers to host the event "Great American Weigh In", in an effort to inform the public that if they lower their weight they can lower their risk of getting cancer.

    People across the country participate in the one-day event by going to a Weight Watchers location and getting health information for free.

    "We will weigh them, get their height, and give them their BMI, which is a body mass index. And that is a calculation of height and weight to see if they're at a healthy weight or a risky weight,¡± says Weight Watchers employee Pat Whittington.

    The American Cancer Society says for people who don't smoke, the most important ways to reduce cancer risk is by eating better, being active, and maintaining a healthy body weight. These are the things the American Cancer Society and Weight Watchers are hoping to show people.

    According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, as many as 90,000 cancer deaths could be prevented every year if Americans maintained a healthy weight. The risk is greatest for those who are obese.

    "Men have an increased risk of 50 percent for cancer, whereas (with) women, it's 62 percent. Of all cancer deaths attributable to women, 20 percent are now associated with overweight and obesity," said Dr. Pam Peeke, a nutrition expert.

    That risk includes cancer of the colon, kidney, uterus, and especially, of the breast.

    Experts aren't sure if it's the extra weight or the bad habits that lead to obesity that drives up the cancer risk. But they do know that eating better and exercising help people to lose weight while lowering their chances of getting cancer. Enditem

(Agencies)