The World Cancer Research Fund stated that Britain is as bad as America when it comes to lifestyle cancers and the best way of avoiding around one in three cases of some of the most common cancers was healthier diet and exercise.

Prof Martin Wiseman, Scientific and Medical Adviser for World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) said that it is estimated around 80,000 cases of cancer could be prevented in UK.

America might be reputed for obesity and cancers initiated by weight gain but such cancers are almost as high in Britain.

Prof Wiseman said, “Because we read so much about America’s problems with obesity and junk food, people may find it surprising that the proportion of cancer cases related to diet, physical activity, and weight is just as bad here in the UK.”

About 80,000 cancers could be prevented every year by healthy eating, regularly physical exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight.

The forms of cancer that could be kept at bay by following a healthy routine were pharynx, larynx and esophagus in the throat, stomach, pancreas, lung, breast, cancer of the lining of the womb, gallbladder, liver, bowel, prostate and kidney.

Every year about 300,000 people are diagnosed with cancer in Britain.