Lean plate club: News: In conflict or in concert?

If you're feeling a little whiplash from recent nutritional news, no wonder.

First, 21 respected, international scientists report that excess pounds, inactivity and overconsumption of certain foods, including red meat and alcohol, increase cancer risk. Then, a few days later, scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that being overweight does not raise the risk of dying prematurely from either heart disease or -- you guessed it -- cancer.

At first glance, the two reports seem contradictory. But dig a little deeper and there's some striking consistency that can help clear the nutritional fog.

None of the recent findings "change any current recommendations" for food or activity, notes Katherine Flegal, lead author of the CDC study. "You still want to eat right, get some activity and don't smoke. Nothing about our paper changes those messages."

What's new: Flegal and other CDC scientists found that being just a few pounds overweight -- but not obese -- had little effect on the risk of dying from cancer. There was also minimal risk of heart disease mortality from carrying a few extra pounds, with an emphasis on few. "We're talking about having a body mass index of 25," says Flegal, or about 5 pounds above a healthy weight. "Overweight and obesity are not exactly the same."

That's the good news.

The bad news: Being overweight worsened the odds of death from type 2 diabetes and from kidney disease, the report found. The higher the body weight, the greater the risk. Another finding: If you're obese -- roughly 30 pounds or more above a healthy weight -- you have an heightened risk of dying from some types of cancer.

This fits with findings from the new report by the international scientists. Convened by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), the group found that excess body weight, particularly obesity, raised the risk of breast, colorectal and pancreatic cancer.

The bottom line? Aim for a healthy weight. Or at least a healthier weight. The Diabetes Prevention Program, a federal study of people of great risk of type 2 diabetes, found that losing just 7 percent of body weight cut their odds of developing the condition by as much as 65 percent. And if you can't seem to lose weight, at least try not to gain.

As for inactivity, the research is also very clear: Sedentary living is dangerous, regardless of your weight. The benefits of staying active are obvious no matter your age, physical condition or weight. The AICR report found "convincing" evidence that regular physical activity cuts the risk for colorectal cancer, weight gain and obesity. There's also "probable" evidence that it decreases risk of endometrial cancer and breast cancer in those past menopause.

What you put on your plate also makes a difference. The winners: Fruit and vegetables, so long as they are not pickled or salted. There's "probable" data to show that eating plenty of fruit and nonstarchy vegetables, from broccoli to zucchini, cuts the risk of cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus and stomach, according to the AICR report. There are also probable cancer preventive benefits for onions, garlic and other vegetables rich in allium. Fruit seems to help protect against lung and stomach cancer. Those findings fit with the advice of the 2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for most adults to eat about two and a half cups of vegetables per day and two cups of fruit. The AICR report offers similar advice, saying to aim for at least 14 ounces daily of fruit and vegetables.

Just go easy on the red meat and processed meat products, from hot dogs to salami. The AICR report found convincing evidence to link these foods with a higher risk of colorectal cancer. "You see a dramatic increase in risk once you go over 18 ounces of red meat per week," notes AICR registered dietitian Sarah Wally.

The same goes for alcohol. Despite some heart benefits for men and post-menopausal women who drink moderately, there's convincing evidence that all alcoholic beverages boost breast cancer risk in women, colorectal cancer in men and cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx and esophagus in both. The final call? If you drink, stick to no more than two drinks for men daily, one for women.

What does come through from both studies is loud and clear: Get your nutrients first from food rather than from dietary supplements. As the AICR report notes, "Dietary supplements are not recommended for cancer prevention." So eat an orange rather than popping vitamin C, tomato sauce on your spaghetti rather than taking lycopene, and sweet potatoes and squash rather than popping beta-carotene supplements.

You can subscribe to the free Lean Plate Club e-mail newsletter at www.leanplateclub.com. Sally Squires is a writer for the Washington Post.